Mental health constitutes the psychological, emotional, cognitive and social dimensions which structures the overall mental well-being of an individual. Mental well-being does not mean absence of stress and perpetual happiness. In effect, a good mental health ensures a mental well-being in creating a capacity to adapt, cope with stress and conflicts, and yet function effectively in day to day lives. There is no doubt that a good mental health is as valuable as physical health. As per a UNICEF study (2024), 7.3% of young people (18-29 years) face severe mental health issues. In order to leverage the demographic dividend and long-lasting economic productivity, holistic well-being of the population is essential.
Among the youth population, there are aspirants who are zealous about catapulting business to higher echelons of productivity and growth in the corporate macrocosm. They are the products of business schools who are trained in multifarious analytical and subjective faculties. Unlike other vocations, profession of leadership and management require a personality with a holistic well-being. In this case, I consider mental make-up to be the most decisive factor in predicting the effectiveness of a professional manager and leader. Given the conditions of an unpredictable business environment, the bets are on B-Schools for cultivating an effective leadership among its students. This is important to thaw and rewrite novel pathways to steer in the unknown sea of vulnerability and turbulence.
Mental stress is an inevitable part in the journey of management education. And management education is a preparation for a preparation to be prepared. In B schools, candidates from various disciplines are found to have a varied aptitude to cope with the different subjects of the curriculum. Peer comparisons, imposter syndrome and future anxiety are some of causes of stress within a group of individuals with diverse backgrounds. Moreover, attuning to a corporate leadership requires developing certain level of essential skill sets like good communication, analytical problem solving and creative thinking apart from excelling academically in the subjects of the curriculum. Assignment deadlines, time management, public speaking, peer communication, group cohesion etc. demands considerable focus and energy while creating ample avenues for stress building. Stress, if channelised wisely and productively can become Eustress, which motivates, enhances performance, aids in goal achievement and contribute to overall well-being.
There are several factors responsible for deteriorating mental health among youth–sociological, cultural, systemic, biological, academic etc. Within a two-year course of management, we at FORE strive to transform our students through a curriculum based on emotional intelligence, stress management and reflective practices. We also train students to follow certain discipline regarding time management, focused attention and work-life balance so as to reduce stress and anxiety. Above all, we believe that when we bring a problem into the open we completely change its dynamic. The focus shifts from a looming and stressful hindrance to a puzzle that needs to be solved. Hence, we hold a number of programmes and workshops to spread awareness about mental health. We sensitise and train our faculties to detect early warnings of students’ mental distress and accordingly respond with empathy.
Effective leadership requires a strong mind. A strong mind flourishes when one has self-awareness and sense of freedom. These are the essential ingredients to create a foundation of resilience and mental growth. The diagnosis of mental health condition, however, often faces challenges related to accurate assessment and personalised timely intervention. In addition to this, the associated social stigma and self-doubt makes mental conditions harder to identify, acknowledge and treat in early stages. However, studies have shown that frontier technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) can aid in the detection of mental health problems at an early stage. By combining individual and peer sensitisation along with AI detection systems, it is hoped to diagnose the problem early and find solutions to help our youth.
(The views expressed are personal)
This article is authored by BBL Madhukar, chairman, FORE School of Management (FORE) and director general, BRICS Chamber of Commerce & Industry.
