Delhi gets helpline to facilitate student's exam related stress

Updated on: Thursday, February 16, 2012

Students with high anxiety level and exam related stress have more help available - a Delhi-based hospital's mental health helpline recently announced the special arrangements for students.

According to an official from Delhi Mental Health Helpline said it will provide 24x7 service and assistance from counselors ahead of the board exams with the counselors also doing follow up call backs.

Ashok Chacko, Regional Director, Delhi Mental Health Helpline, said that the helpline will also send messages to all the prominent schools in the city to alert them about the need for stress-busting sessions. Instead of pinning unrealistic hopes on their wards or pushing them to the limit, parents should rather strengthen their morale and create a conducive atmosphere at home to reduce examination-induced stress.

The word of caution comes ahead of the Class XII Board examinations that get underway throughout the country March 1. The helpline can be reached at 1860 266 2345.

"Most of the parents expect their children to be in the '90 percent' category in Board exams or want them to crack the IIT or pre-medical entrance tests, putting a massive strain on them," Chacko added.

This helpline is a collaborative effort of the Vandrevala Foundation, Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA), St. Stephen's Hospital and the Mar Thoma Church, specially designed for Delhi and north India, both parents and students can call the free helpline for counselling from expert psychologist and psychiatrists. 

The helpline has a three-tier system with clinical psychologists trained in counselling are primary call takers, while the calls are also escalated to trained psychiatrists depending on their severity. In extreme cases, calls are routed through to senior, experienced & empanelled psychiatrists.

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has also started a pre-exam helpline from Feb 1 till April 16. The CBSE helpline can be accessed at toll-free number 1800-180-3456 between 8 a.m. and midnight.

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