XLRI delves into mental health with schoolchildren

Mental Health and the pandemic was the focus of the annual conference of a student body at XLRI that helps school students realise their potential by focusing on social and emotional learning.

Reflections 2020, hosted virtually by Samarthya, saw the participation of over 150 students from three schools — Dayanand Public School, DAV Public School and Tarapore School in Jamshedpur. The event focused on “Mental Health and the Pandemic: Its implications and how to cope”. 

The students engaged in various interactive activities to better understand emotions and cultivate good mental health practices to fight the negative impacts of the pandemic and ensure mental well-being. Even school teachers and parents got valuable insights into identifying difficult emotions and their impact on the kids.

Students, teachers and parents discussed various issues that affect schoolchildren such as their social connections, physical health and academic performance in studies were also held. Some of the common questions asked during the sessions included, "I'm always worried about doing well in school?”, “How do I cope with the academic pressure?” and “How do I identify and work on my emotions and feelings?"..

An interactive quiz was held to debunk various myths about mental health and help students understand the various existing misconceptions surrounding mental health and the stigma attached to a person who’s suffering.

Other activities included a video show, explaining mental health issues among students and what they can do to support each other, following a chat on how to help break the stigma. The students even cited examples of some of their favourite celebrities who have talked about their mental health problems.

Dr. Pooja Mohanty, a psychotherapist at XLRI- Xavier Institute of Management, commented, was the guest speaker at the conference.

“The unfortunate pandemic, which the world suffers from, has shifted our mental make-up to complexity and confusions. Such events we hope will help students cope with this one-of-a kind situation,” Mohanty said.