New Delhi: Gone are the days when childhood was carefree. With stress becoming a major issue affecting kids, AIIMS is set to expand its

adolescent wellness initiative

— MATE (Mind Activation Through Education) targeting students from classes 6 to 8, based on clinical observations.
This initiative strives to strengthen young people's ability to manage daily stressors while supporting their cognitive and psychological growth. MATE, launched in 2020 at AIIMS, successfully expanded to over 20 schools in Meghalaya through MHF India, a non-profit organisation, receiving CSR and govt backing. Officials report encouraging outcomes.

Initially implemented in four Delhi schools in 2020, the programme faced interruption due to Covid. Officials noted that educational institutions across India, including Bihar, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, showed keen interest in adopting this programme.

According to the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, mental disorders affect approximately 50 million children in India at any given time, with numbers potentially higher when including adolescents. Mental health experts attribute children's psychological challenges to various factors: social media engagement, gaming patterns, peer pressure, parental supervision, childhood trauma, adjustment difficulties, negative life events, academic struggles, early relationship issues, genetic factors, and scholastic pressure.
Professor Nand Kumar and his team from the psychiatry department at AIIMS developed this programme to combat isolation and enhance young people's ability to manage everyday stress, promoting healthy cognitive and psychosocial development. The programme aims to boost self-concept, introduce breathing techniques, utilise personal resources for problem-solving, build resilience, and foster interconnectedness through MATE-5 and community support.
He emphasised that overlooking adolescent mental health could result in serious future complications. Proper mental health care during teenage years helps prevent conditions like diabetes, metabolic disorders, and hypertension, whilst reducing anxiety, depression and substance abuse risks.
The first workshop: "Unboxing Health & Wellness", spans two hours focusing on wellness concepts, beginning with an innovative breathing exercise. This activity is crucial as breathing patterns reflect stress levels: rapid during stress, steady during relaxation, and slower during alertness. They've adapted pranayama into an interactive "Five Finger MATE Breathing Game" for individual or group practice.
The following two-hour session explores self-relationships and connections with others, including family and friends. Relationship difficulties often cause significant distress and affect bonds. Many youngsters become disconnected from their families due to parent-child conflicts. The workshop systematically identifies and addresses these fundamental issues.
The third session, "Happy Gut, Healthy Brain", examines the gut-brain connection. Research indicates that 90% of serotonin production occurs in the gut, whilst only 10% happens in brain neurons. This highlights why medical interventions may fail without proper digestive health.
The fourth workshop addresses decision-making in the digital age. Instead of criticising technology, it focuses on personal choice in device usage. Through workshops, participants understand their emotional responses to technology use, emphasising individual control. The final workshop, "Your Home Shapes Your Brain", targets parents and school counsellors.
MATE's foundation lies in MATE-5, advocating for five trusted friends with whom one can share concerns, seek guidance, and experience synchronicity. MATE aims to reduce isolation and promote positive mental health. The programme now includes an award for MATE-5 group members, with nominations coming from peers to strengthen interconnectedness.