Two years ago, Jagannath University (JnU) took a significant step by establishing a counselling centre aimed at alleviating the mental fatigue burdening its students. Despite its noble intentions, the centre faces numerous challenges that impede it from fulfilling its primary objective effectively.
The counselling centre, situated on the ground floor of Rafiq Bhaban, commenced its operations on January 3, 2022, with the mission to address suicide tendencies, depression, and exam-related stress among students.
Operating from 9am to 3pm on all working days, the centre has catered to the mental health needs of approximately 1,000 students since its inception.
Initially, the university allocated a monthly budget of Tk25,000 to support the centre. However, due to financial constraints, intern doctors have been volunteering since November, filling the void left by the lack of allocation.
Furthermore, despite the syndicate's approval, the appointment of a clinical psychologist remains pending in the registrar's office, hindering the centre's ability to provide comprehensive care.
The Department of Psychology oversees the centre's operations, with postgraduate students serving as counsellors as part of their fieldwork.
Each day, twelve individuals receive counselling sessions, facilitated by thirty counsellors and five faculty advisors from the psychology department, with each session lasting 45 to 50 minutes.
Intern counsellors report encountering various mental health issues among students, including anxiety, relationship struggles, and academic stress.
While some cases are resolved through counselling at the centre, others necessitate referrals to institutions like the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) or Dhaka Medical College for advanced treatment.
According to the centre, 50% of the students who come for the service are depressed, 23% are mentally anxious and 18% have relationship problems.
Of all the students taking service at the counselling centre, 85% are healthy and normal after their session.
What counsellors say
Intern counsellor Mahfuz said: "Here we are providing counselling regularly. I have found signs of various types of mental problems among the beneficiaries. It is offered in multiple sessions depending on the nature of the problem. Some are done in one session, while others require more sessions. Some we refer to advanced counselling.”
Intern Counsellor Anta Hena Ankhi recounts her experience: "A student came to me a few days ago. She was mentally depressed due to the end of her romantic relationship. Besides, he was extra worried about academic life, his career. He tried to take his life twice before coming here.
“In such a situation we were not able to get treatment here. He was referred to a psychiatrist at NIMH. There he was given advanced treatment including medicine. I am still in touch with him. The mental condition of that patient has now come to a stable state,” she explained.
What students say
Despite the centre's efforts, a lack of awareness persists among students regarding its services and significance.
During interviews with five students regarding the quality of service at the counselling centre, mixed opinions emerged.
While three students reported benefiting from the services, two expressed dissatisfaction.
A student wishing to remain anonymous, grappling with the aftermath of a romantic breakup, shared a negative experience, suggesting that while the counsellor provided assistance, it fell short of resolving their deep-seated issues. This student speculated that consulting a psychiatrist might have yielded more effective results.
Furthermore, discussions with students from various academic years revealed a concerning lack of awareness regarding the counselling centre's activities and the importance of seeking mental health care.
Rabiul Parvez, a Mass Communication and Journalism student, admitted to only recently discovering the centre's existence through a senior peer but remained unaware of its services. He stressed the necessity of comprehensive campaigns and awareness programs to inform students about available mental health resources.
Similarly, Tahsan Tamal, a Statistics student, said: “When the counselling centre was launched, I got to know about it in the newspaper. However, the details are not known. Just as we need awareness about mental health, we need to campaign about what kind of services are available at counselling centres.'
What authorities say
Prof Dr Noor Mohammad, director of the counseling centre, highlighted the challenges faced by the centre, including financial constraints and bureaucratic delays in expert recruitment.
He said: “Our students here are taking regular services and are benefiting. However, the counselling centre has not been getting any financial allocation since November last year. Now the centre is running at our own expense.”
He hoped that the new vice-chancellor (VC), Prof Dr Sadeka Halim, would take necessary steps to start providing service at a full scale.
In response, Dr Sadeka Halim held out the assurance that steps will be taken to expedite the recruitment process and resolve the centre's operational challenges.