Pressure on the students

2. (A Public Health Issue)
B. Mohammad Idris
BIET MBA PROGRAMME
BAPUJI B-SCHOOL.

3. • Suicides have serious impact on Public Health and
affect mortality status.
• Stress is a combination of mental, physical and
emotional responses
What creates stress?
Exam pressures, low self esteem, poor self image,
academic failure, rejection by others and lack of
emotional and social support.

4. • Over 16,000 students suicides in the last three
years.
(Acc. to Health Ministry)
• Out of every three cases of suicide reported every
15 minutes in India, one is committed by a youth
in the age group of 15 to 29.
• Every 90 minutes a teenager tries to commit
suicide in India. Many of these attempts are half-
hearted cries for attention, help and love. But
every six hours, one succeeds
• Girls may be more likely to make suicidal
attempts, but boys are more likely to make a truly
lethal suicide attempt.

6.  43% examination fear
 40% sibling rivalry
 36% issues at school
 33% warring parents
 20% fear of punishment
 17% death of a loved one
 17% distressed parents
(Source: Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic,
AIIMS)

7.  Faulty education system
 Pushy and unaware parents
 More expectations
 Childhood depression
 Inability to cope and mental weakness
 Biological changes
 Hormonal changes
 Copycat deaths

8. • Anger, depression and excessive worries
• Reluctant to go to school
• Mood swings
• Anxiety and forgetfulness
• Tiredness
• Self hatred
• Sadness and suicidal talk
• Poor concentration
• Profuse sweating
• Lack of interest in studies despite efforts made
• Changes in sleep or eating patterns

9.  Drug or alcohol abuse
 Exposure to violence in the home or the social
environment
 Access to handguns, pesticides etc. at home
 Previous suicide attempts
 Close family member who has committed suicide
 Past psychiatric hospitalization
 Recent losses: death of a relative, a family divorce,
or a breakup with a girlfriend.
 Social isolation

10. • Three steps parents can
take -
1. Become informed (library,
local support group,
Internet)
2. Support your child (listen,
avoid criticism, remain
connected)
3. Get help (medical or
mental health
professional)
• Three steps teens can
take -
1. Take your friend’s actions
seriously
2. Encourage your friend to
seek professional help,
accompany if necessary
3. Talk to an adult you trust.
Don’t be alone in helping
your friend.

11. • NIMHANS holds suicide prevention workshops
• CMC, Vellore wants ban on the sale of lethal pesticides
• AIIMS is working on mental health in Delhi schools.
• Psychologists and counselors Dr Jitender Nagpal and
Dr Geetanjali Kumar have made a 40-minute short film
(Smile Your Way Through Exams)
• CBSE runs a helpline (tele-counselling facility) and has
modified exam system – GRADING
• The Hindustan Times, runs a series called “Cracking
the Boards.”
• Television programmes have psychiatrists and
psychologists take questions and calm fears.
• Radio stations broadcast messages urging students to
remain calm.

12. • International Association For Suicide Prevention
(IASP) in collaboration with WHO announced in 2003
and uses this day to call attention to suicide as a
leading cause of premature and preventable death.
Legal Issues –
• In India attempted suicide is a punishable offence.
Section 309 of Indian Penal Code states that whoever
attempts commit suicide and does any act towards the
commission of such an offence shall be punished with
simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to
one year or with a fine or with both.

13.  Education efforts to alert community
 Participation of Public Health experts along with
psychologist, psychiatrist, school counselor and social
workers
 Protecting and helping students in distress
 Awareness of suicidal behavior
 PTA meetings
 Peer counseling programmes
 Clear plans in place in advance
 “Turn off The TV Week”
 Postvention after suicide

14.  Media should avoid repeated or sensationalistic
coverage.
 Programmes and workshops for parenting
 The schools should have plans to deal with stress
among children
 National suicide intervention programme.
 Providing support to those bereaved by suicide and
decriminalizing attempted suicide.
 Complementary therapies to combat stress
 Chill-out zones in school to relax

15.  Positive Attitude
 Rest & Recreation
( Sleep , Breaks, Exercise ,fresh air/sun)
 Good nutrition habits
(Proper meals ,Less sugar/caffeine,
8 glasses of water daily , Fruits & vegetables)
 Autonomy & Space
 Support and guidance
 Affirmation & Praise
 Empathic Listener
 Unconditional love & regard

16. Exams are important as their results influence
future professional career, social status and self–
esteem. Every person has own optimal level of
worry and anxiety, which helps him/ her to
achieve the best results. We must learn how to
control stress and extra anxiety for preparing for
the test. If exams cause great worry, and there are
some symptoms of exam stress (insomnia, rapid
pulse, hands trembling and so on) we ought to do
something about it. We must prepare students to
handle stress in a better way.

17.  www.indiatimes.com
 www.livemint.com
 news.bbc.co.uk
 www.ndtv.com/NDTV show special
 www.ibnlive.in.com/news
 www.indianexpress.com
 www.successcds.net
 supportline.org.uk
 www.iCBSE.com
 www.topnews.in
 www.8asians.com
 www.mid-day.com
 www.stophomework.com
 www.adcet.edu.au
 www.childline.org.uk
 www.timesofindia.com
 www.expressindia.com