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- Schools must be safe spaces for student well-being.
- Teachers are vital role models, impacting students' struggles.
- Treat mental wellness like physical health; boost peer support.
Mental Health Education: World Mental Health Day is celebrated annually on October 10, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) acknowledges it and uses it to educate people widely about mental health. It also aims to mobilise efforts to support mental health and allow everyone involved in the field to speak about their work.
The Theme of the year 2026 is "Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change." This means that the knowledge that a person achieves through their own experience helps them to understand things that people who have only heard about these matters cannot.
How Can Teachers Help Students During School?
As per Dr. Aditi Misra, Director of Dharav High School in Gurugram, a school or educational institution should be a safe and open environment that fosters the personal development and well-being of its students. She believes that the atmosphere students encounter upon entering school each day inspires them and instills a sense of respect for everyone, regardless of nationality, temperament, or other differences.
She also emphasises that teachers often serve as the first role models for children, and the way they respond to a child's struggles can leave a lifelong impact on that child.
Even a friendly teacher can make a significant difference. She urges parents and teachers to coordinate effectively, as students may behave differently at home compared to school.
How Can Students Assist One Another and Fight Against Stigmatisation?
According to Misra, mental wellness should be treated the same way as physical wellness is treated in schools and beyond. Counseling should not be exclusive to troubled individuals; by incorporating preventive measures into counseling programs, all students will benefit and be able to avoid serious problems.
Some students might not be comfortable speaking with someone in authority; thus, peer support is vital as it becomes a part of peer support systems. One of the most crucial aspects of extracurricular activities such as music and sports is that they create an opportunity to interact with others and develop a sense of self-worth and purpose.