The Public Health Ministry recently launched Kru Care Jai, a training programme that aims to develop and empower teachers' skills in preventing mental health problems among students, as statistics showed that Thai youth are at risk of mental illness, 17% of whom are likely to harm themselves.
Public Health Minister Dr Cholnan recently said that Thai adolescents aged 13 to 17 are facing more mental health risks, particularly due to detrimental factors such as behavioural, emotional and social difficulties which lead to long-term psychiatric problems.
Based on the 2022 data by the Department of Mental Health (DMH), 1 in 7 teenagers aged 10 to 19 years and nearly 1 in 14 children aged 5 to 9 years in Thailand have mental, nervous and emotional disorders.
Moreover, 17.6% of youngsters aged 13 to 17 years were reported to have had thoughts of harming themselves, with suicide the third leading cause of death among teenagers. Bullying, violence, abandonment and abuse are among the contributing causes of mental health problems.
The Kru Care Jai programme is a part of the 2018-2037 national strategy on developing and strengthening human resource potential that is carried out by the DMH.
Dr Cholnan said the Public Health Ministry will be working with the Ministry of Education and its networks to equip and train teachers with important know-how regarding mental health. The first stage will be conducted in schools and educational institutes in Bangkok and surrounding areas.
"The scheme will focus on necessary skills such as deep listening, screening for mental health risks and prevention of violence and bullying in school," Dr Opas Karnkawinpong, the Public Health Ministry permanent secretary said.
He explained that youngsters nowadays need more than just academic knowledge. They also need someone who listens and communicates with them with better understanding.
An application called School Health Hero has also been developed by DMH to monitor students with potential mental health problems. Concerned teachers can seek online consultation and assistance via the app. According to the authority, in the 2022 academic year, 73% of students in risk groups received help and improved.