Mangaluru: The coastal district, which earlier attracted minimal interest in mental health education, has witnessed increased enrolment in PG programmes for psychology, clinical psychology and psychiatric social work in the past five years.
Mental health experts attribute this surge to growing awareness and heightened interest in these disciplines. These programmes operate under RGUHS, Mangalore University, and deemed to be universities. SDM Ujire pioneered the MA Psychology programme under MU, marking its 25th anniversary this year. St Agnes College became the first institution under RGUHS to introduce MSc Clinical Psychology in 2010, with numerous other institutions following suit.
Dr Vandana Jain, HoD, MSc Psychology, SDM Ujire, said that they have only 40 seats, and in the past five years, number of applications has grown four-fold. "When the course started, there were limited takers, and now, there is a huge demand. The institution is also mulling over offering similar courses in mental health soon," said Jain.
Sr M Vinora, who serves as PG co-ordinator at St Agnes College, and heads clinical psychology PG department, discussed the significant increase in demand for the programme. She said that there is a scarcity of qualified professionals compared to the market's requirement, and noted that society is experiencing a rise in mental health concerns alongside growing awareness. "The stigma associated with mental health is gradually diminishing, prompting individuals to seek assistance earlier. The institution started the course in 2010, becoming the first to provide it under RGUHS in the region."
Mental health professionals suggest that the growing influx of qualified professionals in the field, will help address the disparity between availability and requirement for experts. According to Rameela Shekhar, director of Manashanthi Research, Training, and Counselling Centre, mental health was previously stigmatised and lacked awareness. "There is a huge demand and supply gap in the industry. More trained professionals entering the field will benefit society. It is also surprising to see that there are more takers for psychiatric social work compared to human resources," she said, adding that young mental health professionals need to be trained well before practising. She further noted that stress remains the primary contributor to mental health issues.
Fresh graduates said that the field has a huge demand, and vast job opportunities, such as counsellors in schools, practising independently, and working in health sectors along with health professionals.