As studies have shown that first-year medical students experience higher levels of mental stress, the government has decided to take proactive steps to promote their mental development, says Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav. | Photo Credit: Photo File
The Andhra Pradesh government has launched a special program to prevent suicide and reduce psychological stress among medical students.
Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences (NTRUHS) has entered into an agreement with Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Institute India, a US-based organization, to provide structured training in mental health to medical students.
Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav on Friday said the scheme will be implemented from the academic year 2025-26 and will primarily target first-year MBBS students in all government and private medical colleges across the state.
The initiative aims to improve students’ emotional well-being, help them manage stress and prevent suicidal thoughts through university-planned training.
The minister said the agreement represents the first such initiative in the country, noting that studies have shown that first-year medical students experience higher levels of psychological stress. Based on these findings, the coalition government has decided to take proactive steps to support the mental development of students at the earliest stage of medical education, he added.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Health Minister Saurabh Gaur, and the educational programs would be coordinated by Aparna Uppal, a US-based Indian-origin child psychiatrist affiliated with the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) and director of the EASE (Emotional Assessment of Students by Educators) initiative. QPR India will conduct the training under her coordination.
Mr. Saurabh Gaur said that from 2025-26, the program will be conducted for first year students. The cost of training students in private medical colleges would be borne by NTRUHS, ensuring uniform implementation across institutions.
Citing findings by the National Medical Commission (NMC), officials pointed out that the 2024 study found mental health problems in 27.8% of UG medical students and 15% of PG students, according to the National Task Force on Mental Health and Wellbeing of Medical Students.
As part of the training, mental health professionals would interact directly with students to address their concerns. The mental state of the students would be assessed through questionnaires followed by personalized counselling. Each medical school would appoint a coordinator to oversee the effective implementation of the program.
Published – 02 Jan 2026 20:58 IST
