Bhubaneswar: As academic pressure, career uncertainty and other challenges continue to take a toll on youngsters, the state govt has asked universities and colleges to put in place a structured support system to identify signs of mental distress early and ensure timely counselling and professional help for students.The higher education department has recently asked all state public and private universities and principals of degree colleges under its jurisdiction to implement the state’s operational guidelines on mental health and well-being of adolescents and young adults among students, faculty members, non-teaching staff and hostel wardens.The guidelines, issued by the health and family welfare department last month, have a separate section covering young adults aged 18 and above. They seek to move mental health support beyond occasional awareness programmes by putting in place a system for identifying students in distress, providing initial support and referring them to qualified professionals whenever necessary.One of the key provisions is the establishment of a functional mental health and well-being centre in every higher education institution. The centre will coordinate counselling, referrals, awareness programmes and support for students facing psychological difficulties.Institutions are also required to designate a senior faculty member as a mental health nodal officer and constitute a monitoring committee headed by the head of the institution to oversee implementation.Under the guidelines, officials of the higher education department said, from students to faculty members, everyone will be assigned a role in identifying students showing signs of distress and needing help. “While faculty members are expected to act as the first point of contact for students showing signs of distress, trained student peer supporters can help identify those who may need assistance. Hostel wardens and residential staff have also been assigned a role in monitoring students, particularly those living away from their families,” said a senior official.While currently a majority of colleges and universities do not have dedicated counsellors and mostly depend on psychology department faculty members to help such students, the guidelines stated that students requiring specialised care must be referred to qualified mental health professionals or appropriate healthcare facilities.Recognising that all colleges may not have dedicated counsellors or adequate infrastructure, the guidelines provide for a minimum support system even in institutions with limited resources. These include appointing a faculty nodal officer, organising psychological first-aid orientation for teaching and non-teaching staff at least once a year, including mental health awareness in student induction programmes and training at least two peer supporters for every 100 students. Such institutions are also expected to establish referral arrangements with the nearest district mental health programme, district hospital or licensed counselling agency.The higher education department has asked institutions to involve students, faculty members, staff and hostel wardens in creating a campus environment where mental health concerns can be recognised and addressed without stigma.