Exam stress? Fear of test? 24X7 helpline at your rescue

It is exam time, and also that dreading time when students can crack under pressure. Here is a toll free helpline to counsel students from across the country on handling stress and nervousness

       If statistics are to be believed, 7379 students-or 20 students a day- committed suicide across India in 2010 against 5,857 students killing themselves to death in 2006. These figures released by National Crime Records Bureau last year clearly indicate that the student suicide per cent has increased to 25.6 per cent in the last four years. While the nation revels in Indian students being serious about their studies, there are thousands of students being bogged down by exam stress, anxiety and fear of failure. To address such mental and psychological issues of students, a Delhi-based hospital’s mental health helpline is offering special counseling to students across the country who are finding themselves crack under pressure.

Call the helpline to help bust the stress

        The helpline can be reached at a toll free number 1860 266 2345. It is a collaborative effort of Vandrevala Foundation, Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA), St Stephen's Hospital and the Mar Thoma Church. It is a 24 X 7 helpline available throughout the year. Students of any board, any state and any class can avail the service. Ashok Chacko, Delhi Mental Health Helpline regional director, said, “Most of the parents expect their children to be in the '90 per cent' category in Board exams or want them to crack the IIT or pre-medical entrance tests, putting a massive strain on them. This helpline is both for parents and students to help them drop the exam pressure.”

The calling system

Any student with a mental health issue as common as fear of failure or as scathing as being unable to concentrate while writing the answers in the exam can call up the above given toll free number. The call is attended by a clinical psychologist who the student can confide his problem into. The counsellor will then suggest few techniques to help you overcome the problem. However, if the problem persists, the students can call back. If the issue is a severe one, the call will be escalated to trained psychiatrists.

College going students are apprehensive about their reputation. And a poor score in any subject can press the panic button  -- N N Raju, Professor of              Psychiatry Andhra Medical College

        N N Raju, Professor of Psychiatry Andhra Medical College says, “Yes, the helpline will help marginally. Talking to a counselor about their educational issues or related stress can help student release immediate anxiety. A lot of students, out of fear, plan to skip writing the exams, in such situations, a counselor who can advise them wisely is of enormous help.” But why students barely out of teenage thrust themselves to death although with each passing day parents and society are offering more support to a student’s educational needs? “In college going students, peer pressure is a major factor that thrusts them towards committing suicide. They are apprehensive about their reputation. And a poor score in any subject can press the panic button. In students whose parents have high expectations from them, guilt of failing can force them to take an irresponsible decision like committing suicide.”

            While pressure to succeed, be it from parents or peers or the pupil himself will increase massively as exams near, hopefully the helpline and counseling allows them to breathe a sigh of relief.