Prevailing mental health issues among youth

1. Prevailing Mental
Health issues among
Students
Session-1

2. About Me:
• Clinical Psychologist
• Speech and language Pathologist
• PhD Scholar
• Chairperson Sidra Akhtar Foundation Drug and
Psychological Rehabilitation Centre, Islamabad

4. Prevailing Mental
Health issues among
Students
Session-1

5. A Learner , who attends an educational Institute.
A Person , who is studying .

6. Who Is a Teacher?

11. We are constantly reminded to eat well, train,
we pick out nice clothes we look good in.
we care about our bodies
But we forget to take care of the soul.

14. Around 80 million people in
Pakistan are suffering from a mental
disorder

17. A Behavioral or Mental Patterns that
cause significant distress or
impairment of personal Functioning.

18. How mental health problems
affect students?
• Reducing their quality of life
• Academic achievement
• Physical health
• Satisfaction with the college
experience
• University-Dropout
• Negatively impacting
relationship with Teachers,
family and peers.

19. Stress 30%
Anxiety 22%
Sleep Difficulties 20%
Depression 14%

25. • Depression is a mood disorder that causes a
persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.
Also called major depressive disorder or clinical
depression, it affects how you feel, think and
behave and can lead to a variety of emotional
and physical problems. You may have trouble
doing normal day-to-day activities, and
sometimes you may feel as if life isn't worth
living.

30. 15 to 20 people end their lives in Pakistan
every day.
Factors in provoking students to end their
own lives are examination stress, fear of
failure, verbal and physical abuse by parents,
teachers, or peers, feelings of loneliness,
hopelessness, and being worthless.
Increased expectations and competition lead
to academic stress, depression, and other
psychological illnesses among students
nowadays.

31. Pakistan Silent Suicide Problem

34. • According to a report by an NGO, 53% of students
of leading private schools in Islamabad are addicted
to drugs. That’s more than half of the schoolgoing
population in the country’s capital. Another report
that reports data from schools and universities in
Lahore indicates that 57% of the students in
Pakistan were using at least one drug. Another
survey said that one of every 10 university
students were addicted to drugs and almost 50% of
the students of elite educational institutions were
addicted to drugs.

35. Consequences for University
• Campuses feel the burden
when students with
mental illness do poorly
on course work & drop out
from University.
• Defaming the Campus
(Suicide, Drug use)
• Poor student retention
means losses in tuition,
fees etc

36. Equipping a teacher to handle
mental health issues of university
students
Session 2

38. Objectives :
• Promote the healthy social and emotional
development of all children and youth
• Recognize when young people are at risk for or
are experiencing mental health problems
• Identify how to intervene early and
appropriately when there are problems

39. Promote a sense of empowerment to
develop social and emotional
literacy.

40. Encourage expression

41. Reframing behaviors

42. Take care of yourself and know your
limits

43. Model good coping behaviors for
students – be calm, honest, and
caring

44. Encourage play and sports to
promote interaction between
students

45. Watch out for any warning signs of
child behavior that interferes with
their ability to explore, play and
learn

46. Seek suggestions from students on
how to create a welcoming, safe and
comfortable classroom

47. Check & Balance

48. Empathy

49. Educate staff, parents, and students
on symptoms of and help for mental
health problems

50. Build resilience

51. Help ensure a positive, safe
university environment

52. Teach and reinforce positive
behaviors and decision-making

53. Encourage helping others

54. Help ensure access to university -
based mental health supports

55. Refer for Professional Help

56. Sidra.akhtar@hotmail.com
+923325024691
+923348618368