ManasaMitra: Pattambi MLA Submits School Mental Health Project Document To Education Minister
Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: In a significant step towards strengthening student mental health and educational innovation in Kerala, the comprehensive mental health programme ‘ManasaMitra’, conceptualised and led by Pattambi MLA Shri Muhammed Muhassin, has been formally submitted to General Education Minister Shri V. Sivankutty.
The initiative is part of a larger vision to transform Pattambi into the country’s first “Learning Constituency”, with a focus on youth empowerment, modern education, and knowledge-driven development. The need for a structured mental health intervention emerged from a detailed study conducted during the Youth Summit held in Pattambi, which revealed that a majority of participants identified accessible and quality mental health care as a critical requirement.
Designed as a scientific, contemporary, and inclusive mental health programme, ManasaMitra addresses the growing psychological challenges faced by students and youth, including academic stress, anxiety, depression, suicidal tendencies, behavioural issues, digital addiction, and substance abuse. The programme framework was developed through coordinated efforts involving IMHANS Kozhikode and SCOLE Kerala ensuring professional validation and institutional alignment.
The ManasaMitra model follows a structured three-tier intervention strategy encompassing teacher, parent, and student engagement, under which educators are trained to identify mental health concerns at an early stage, provide initial support, and facilitate timely referrals to professionals. Parents are enabled to better understand adolescent emotional development and create supportive home environments. Students are supported through a structured mental wellness workshop focusing on self-awareness, stress management, digital balance, peer support and suicide prevention.
The objectives of ManasaMitra include developing a state-level mental health school model, transforming schools into emotionally safe spaces, preventing suicide tendencies and substance abuse among students, and reducing stigma surrounding mental health.
The complete project document submitted to the minister includes the conceptual framework for school-level implementation, an IMHANS-reviewed syllabus, detailed two days & six moths training modules for teachers and students, a research document based on youth consultations, and comprehensive records of the programme’s development.
With the submission of this report, the Pattambi model opens pathways for wider adoption across the state, positioning ManasaMitra as a potential benchmark in Kerala’s approach to student mental health and well-being.
SCOLE Kerala Executive Director Jinesh Kumar Eramam was also present at the occasion.
