Mukhtar Ahmad Qureshi
Introduction of psychology as a subject at the 10+2 level in all higher secondary institutions will be a progressive move. School level education has been integrating psychological knowledge into its educational reforms so that growing concerns about mental health and well being are dealt with easily. This will offer a generation that can understand, cope with, and assist its peers with mental health concerns. With the NEP 2020 taking the initiative to include mental health as an integral component in education, introducing psychology could be a proactive way for emotionally resilient and mentally conscious young minds.
Psychology: A gateway to mental health awareness
The study of psychology as a discipline gives insight into the human mind and behaviour. In the study of psychology, students learn better about mental processes, emotions, and how thoughts influence behaviour. Introducing psychology at the 10+2 level gives students an opportunity to develop a basic understanding of mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, and interpersonal conflicts. Early exposure reduces stigma, helps build empathy, and encourages an open view towards mental health challenges.
From this understanding, the students will be better able to recognize early symptoms of mental health disorders in themselves or others and respond compassionately and sensitively. It also works as a preventive measure wherein young adults are able to adopt ways to cope with stressors and develop a healthy outlook that can guide them all their lives.
Psychology can be contributing to developing future generations
Mental wellness among the youth is of high importance in this fast-changing world. Most students feel pressure from academics, a lack of certainty in a career, social comparison, and identity crises. Stress, anxiety, and, in some cases, depression are usually the consequences. Psychology, as a curriculum, will help them face such pressures constructively.
Along with these, psychology teaches problems solving ability, decision making, and grit, which are easily capitalizable in everyday life and all walks of careers. This intervention, beginning with education, will bring up a generation that not only gives importance to mental health but also composes of emotional intelligence to foster healthier and more supportive communities.
NEP 2020 and the importance of counselling and guidance
NEP 2020 emphasizes mental health and counseling at school. It draws attention to the importance that emotional well-being holds for students’ all-round growth. NEP 2020 promotes a system to take care of students on the emotional and psychological sides as well, which it will be possible with adequate and trained psychology lecturers and counselors in schools.
Lecturers in the field of psychology play an important role by teaching not only mental health but also human behaviour, and guidance and counseling are also aspects they provide. This therefore has created an environment which is conducive and where problems are freely discussed, so students can be guided while learning the right ways of handling such issues. This way, the introduction of psychology at the 10+2 level aligns well with the goals of NEP 2020 by establishing a framework that integrates emotional support within the education system.
Empowering students through psychological knowledge
Their psychology teaching skill, in return, empowers one to better control unpredictable situations. Taking psychology courses will equip the learner with self-regulation techniques, mindfulness, and cognitive behaviour strategies that they may use to handle their emotions, control stress, and make informed decisions when handling difficult situations.
Psychology education creates critical thinking because a student learns to analyze the behaviour of people, understands their motivations, and checks emotional triggers. This helps them when they are confronted with real-life situations in order to make the best decisions possible, seek professional help if needed, and support others who are undergoing problems. With a generation that is equipped with this knowledge of psychology, one can expect a decrease in mental health issues and well-being in all age groups.
A step towards a healthy mentality society
By training psychology students, they are actually not only useful for developing an individual, but will contribute to forming a healthier mentally conscious society. Creating an awareness in the psyche about mental health has its rippling effect, so the student aware and sensitized toward such mental problems will help improve their own family, friends, or communities. These ripples further help encourage more open discussion on the topic and get them some help, when required.
This can only mean that when such a vast section of society is generally aware of the basics about mental health, we can expect a corresponding increase in mental health literacy that would be necessary to reduce stigma. The more one hears and talks about mental health, the better accepted counseling and therapy would become as a positive proactive step rather than something shameful to be kept under wraps. An emphasis on psychology at the 10+2 level in India will make the country a future place where mental health is taken as seriously as physical health, creating a friendly and accepting environment for all.
Preparation of students for psychology and counselling careers
In addition to promoting benefits in the personal lives of students, early exposure to psychology can make them interested in psychology-related careers. This introduction, therefore could motivate their pursuit of further studies or careers in psychology, counseling, mental health, or social work and address professional training needs in these critical areas. As the issues of mental illness increase, a demand for psychologists and counselors was never so high as in the present scenario, which this educational initiative may look to fill.
In addition, for those who are interested in other careers, the degree in psychology equips the students with transferable skills such as sympathy, communication, and analytical thinking. A student either ends up being a physician, engineer, teacher, or manager will benefit from studying psychology since it will enlighten him on how better to deal with people on a professional level and with better efficiency.
Psychology as an approach to address mental health issues
Prevention is just as important as curing mental health problems. Including psychology in curriculum and instructing students about the importance of mental wellness at an early stage, schools take a preventive approach on the issues arising. Early intervention would greatly reduce the risk of full-blown mental illnesses later in life.
Learning coping skills, stress management, and emotional regulation at a young age develops resilience; hence, students handle setbacks and frustrations better. Such preventive measures reduce the load on mental health services since more students are well-equipped to handle common psychological challenges without requiring extensive intervention. Introduction of psychology at the 10+2 level in all higher secondary institutions is a very much-needed, forward-looking step to support the aims of NEP 2020. It is the holistic answer to the mounting requirement of awareness, counseling, and guidance on mental health issues in schools. Psychology, taught to the students, will enable them to become self-sufficient in the management of their emotional life, build resilience in themselves, and help others.
This also makes psychology build not just individuals but contribute to society’s mental health. Those students will be prepared, ready to face life challenges, perform best in any career they will choose and impact their community positively. It is through this pro-active step on mental education that the Indian youth blooms and blossoms as a good, empathetic, emotionally intelligent adult leading to health, inclusivity, and well-being for all society.
(The author hails from Boniyar, Baramulla and can be reached at [email protected])
