Mental Health Matters: Students of CIS join hands at vigil for late schoolmates

• Cambridge University study highlights that one in seven adolescents globally faces mental health issues

By Leenah Wahab

Students of the Colombo International School (CIS) held a walk yesterday to commemorate the lives of their late schoolmates, including the schoolgirl who tragically fell from the Lotus Tower recently.

The silent walk began at Independence Square and ended at the school, at which a two-minute silence was held, followed by the release of white balloons. The students came bearing roses to decorate a memorial instituted within the school premises, wearing their white uniforms emblazoned with messages such as ‘Mental Health Matters,’ and ‘It’s okay not to be okay.’

According to a study published by the Cambridge University Press in 2023, worldwide, one in seven adolescents have a mental health problem, with suicide being the 4th leading cause of death among teenagers between the ages of 15–19 years. The study mentioned a Sri Lankan school-based survey conducted in 2016 that reported that 38.6% of school children aged 13-17 had experienced bullying, and 9.5% had attempted to take their own lives. The study ascertains the need for the establishment of mental health surveillance systems through collaboration between public and private sectors, as well as the need to provide adequate youth-friendly mental health services. Organisations that provide assistance include Sumithrayo (open 9 am to 4.30 pm) +94 11 2 682535 and the National Institute of Mental Health (available 24/7) 1936.