Education Min: Mental support helpline will help students cope

The Minister of Education Dr Aishath Ali on Tuesday said that with the newly  introduced helpline to provide first response for mental health, students will be able to overcome various difficulties they face, and overtime will learn tricks and tips to resolve such situations by themselves. 

Speaking at the ceremony held to launch the Psychological First Aid Helpline (1484) for students, the minister noted that children being forced to stay home due to the global pandemic Covid-19 greatly impacted their mental well-being. She added that at time, a lot of effort was made to provide the necessary assistance for children, but it was not met with success then. 

As per the minister, 27 percent of schools are currently catering to provide first aid assistance for psychological needs. She went on to express pleasure as now children from all the schools will be able to  get access to assistance in a more permanent manner. 

Speaking further, she said that if a child is not equipped with the coping skills, even a smaller issue can have a greater impact on their life, which can lead to a life time of suffering. 

The helpline is an initiative by the Education Ministry, with the support of World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF. 

First Lady Fazna Ahmed attended the ceremony, and was the one to officially launch the service. 

The helpline will provide Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) to all students, and will be available starting June 18 onwards.