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Mahatma Gandhi famously said, “a child is the father of the nation”. But how can a nation progress where the psychological disorders are rising among the youth? According to to the recent estimates published by the WHO, nearly 10-30% of the youngsters suffer from some kind of psychological disorder. This can be attributed to the tough academic competitions, peer pressure, tense family background, and unemployment. Most of the time we don’t even notice the signs of these disorders. We think of someone’s irritability as their behaviour. But the fact is they behave in that way because they are not mentally healthy.
Appointment of trained psychologists in all educational institutes is the need of the hour. This will help us in creating a generation that is mentally fit to face the challenges and carry the nation forward. It is not that only the grown-up kids or adults face such issues, even the kids need counselling to get a better education. We will be discussing the importance of psychologists in three academic levels: junior school, high school, and colleges:
Junior School: When a child turns around 2 years old, they are generally admitted to the play schools. Here they learn to gel up other kids, communicate and learn the basic things. There is no any hard and fast syllabus or exams. The primary purpose is to let the child grow and play. But there are many children who suffer from medical conditions like autism, schizophrenia etc. Parents fail to identify the basic signs of the disease which makes it complicated with age. If we have a psychological counsellor, they can identify students with such problems. Most of the cases come out to be:
Parents fail to recognize these cases because they are not medically trained. Also, the unusual activities are brushed off as kids’ tantrums. But the lack of proper medication and treatment leads to the severe case with progressing age. If we have a full-time medical expert who will always be observing the kids, we will get a better picture of the psychological state of children. Not only will this lead to early treatment but also to a better education. If a child suffering from autism continues in a regular school, he/she will never be able to catch up with the classmates. But if they are admitted to a school that focuses on autistic children, they will grow and learn better. Even in these schools, they will be regularly counselled which will make them open up about their problems. This will also lead to a better future for the child. Many children turn out to be bullies. They have uncontrolled aggression and negative outlook on life. Even they need constant counselling to get rid of this behavioural trait. A psychologist will encourage them to control their anger, meditate and in turn be a better community person. There are several such cases in junior schools where the presence of psychologists turns out to be a decisive force in the future community making.
High School: High school is the time when kids enter their adolescence. This phase marks the beginning of a rebellious side of the children. They begin to develop their own perception and wish to take decisions. This energy needs to be channelled properly. In the absence of proper guidance, many youngsters even turn to drugs, illegal activities, gangs etc. They don’t realize that these are going to have adverse effect o their future. The pressure to perform well in the exams, secure a good percentage and even get admission in a reputed college are prime concerns for them. And then the ugly fact is that our society is so into unhealthy comparisons! We fail to appreciate the unique talents and force them to be a part of the rat race. A kid with good sketching skills is seldom sent to top art schools. They are asked to go into the traditional colleges, get a degree and secure a job. In this, their talent takes a back-seat. The society puts undue expectations and pressure o the kids. This leads to frustration and depression. The whole adolescent gets wasted in deciding how to get a good future, compromising with the dreams and all such useless issues.
A psychologist’s presence will be of great relief to the students and parents alike. Students will get a useful insight into making career choices, coping with the pressure and other issues like increased aggression. Many time, a psychologist needs to counsel the parents instead who expect unrealistic from their kid. It is really disturbing to see parents asking for a higher percentage for a kid who is not so good in academics but is a very talented dancer. If they invest their time and resources in getting him/her a better dance trainer, it will show beautiful results. Have you ever thought how would we have got a dancer like Prabhu deva if his parents forced him to study engineering and do a 9-5 job?
Overall, we can say that in high school, we need psychologists for:
College: Once the school is finished, a student enters the college. This marks a new beginning of the life, towards the future prospects. A new place, new people, new classmates and a new life can be difficult for some. Having a college psychologist will be a helpful resource for such students. They can get counselling regarding their career, courses, adapting to the new life and obviously the personal issues. We can imagine how much students will be able to invest their creativity if they get into the course of their choice and have no mental tensions. Students can get themselves counselled against anxiety issues, drug abuse, and lifestyle stress. With a professional help, they will get a better treatment. This will ensure that they don’t fall for some illogical advice.
We have mentioned the need for psychologists in three tiers because they are the successive steps in a student’s life. If our kids manage to get professional help at every step, they will be better equipped to handle the challenges and be mentally strong. They will know how to handle the depressing situations and keep themselves motivated. Not only that, those kids will benefit the most who are autistic or have learning disabilities. They will be spared from the constant bullying and further scolding at home. Instead, they will get a school that recognizes their unique needs and works towards its fulfilment.
If you wish to pursue your career in this field, you should first do your undergrad and postgrad in clinical psychology. If you do these from a university or college registered with Rehabilitation Council of India(RCI), you will automatically get registered as a practising clinical psychologist. If you don’t do your studies from an RCI recognized college, you first need to do the two-year M.Phil programme in clinical psychology from an RCI recognized institute. After that, you will get your practising license. If you plan to study abroad or are already studying abroad, you need to clear the exam prescribed by RCI.
Slowly our country is accepting the fact that the tough lifestyle and present competition is giving rise to a mentally unhealthy youth. This is interfering with their actual potential. Instead of having a mediocre human resource, we need a highly creative and motivated workforce. For this, psychological counselling is important. Most international and reputed schools and colleges already have their own psychologists. The results are clear. Students from these establishments are better equipped to face the world. We need to do the same with each and every school and at every level. Then only, we can expect to have a healthy and highly motivated youth power.
