Students’ Understanding of Mental Health and Coping Skills: Insights from University of Delhi

By : Meenu Anand

Page No: 175-185

Abstact
The expression “mental health” has become ubiquitous as a prominent discourse in the post-pandemic scenario. Mental health as a phenomenon, traverses socio-cultural, economic and geographical borders and nearly most persons can expect to come into contact with its environs (if not its depths). Recent research evidence also points to the increase in feelings of loneliness, alienation and declining social connection and friendships particularly, among youth. Globally young adults are three to four times as likely to struggle with their mental health as their parents’ generation due to the breakdown of ‘social self’ (Sapiens Lab, 2023). This indicates an implosion of relationships, an understanding of self, and an impression of secure encapsulation within a social structure. The present paper is based on research conducted by the author with post graduate students of University of Delhi. It attempts to explore the understanding of mental health among the university students, their sources of stress and coping mechanisms to deal with life challenges. The paper unravels the presence of myths and misconceptions about the understanding of mental health among the students, feelings of loneliness and the shrinking of abilities towards social connection. It concludes by making few recommendations for creating an enabling environment in the university system.

Author :
Meenu Anand : Associate Professor – Department of Social Work, University of Delhi.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/JPR.2023.18.02.3