Background: Mental health issues are common among college students, and structured services have been proven to enhance outcomes. Despite increased enrolment for higher education in India, college mental health services remain sparse. JEEVANI is the first structured state-wide college mental health service in India. This paper describes its framework and provides an overview of its functioning during the initial five months. Methods: In 2019–2020, the Directorate of Collegiate Education, Government of Kerala, implemented the program in 66 colleges catering to approximately 60,000 students. Qualified counsellors were trained to identify issues and provide interventions and early referrals, using a stepped-care approach. They conducted awareness programs to promote mental health and reduce stigma. Results: The services were accessed by 2,315 students during the assessment period (October 2019 to February 2020). The beneficiaries were predominantly females (54.1%). Over a third (38.8%) belonged to the lower socio-economic strata, and 2.5% had significant vulnerabilities. Although no syndromal diagnoses were made, anxiety and depression were the most common presentations. The counsellors provided 3,758 individual sessions and facilitated support for students who reported academic difficulties or interpersonal issues. Severe mental illness was detected in 54 students, and referrals for specialist mental health input were initiated in 68. Conclusion: Describing the framework, sharing the technical material, and providing an overview of its functioning from a resource-constrained setting in India may encourage higher education institutions in low- and middle-income countries to consider similar projects.

The study suggests looking into culturally sensitive data sources like popular films that open a window into the social psyche. As an illustrative case, the climax sequence of a popular Malayalam film Aniyathipravu is analyzed using the method of visual analysis. The analysis is guided by the hermeneutic approach of psychoanalysis and by inputs from evolutionary psychology. The analysis attempts to explore the aspects of individuation of the son, female identity formation and the familial consequences of these aspects in the contemporary society. It reveals how the son is caught in the ambivalence of wanting to be separate from his mother and to be dependent on her, and how the mother is evolved into the cultural stereotype of mother-in-law. The study also shows that motherhood overshadows all other aspects of the female identity in the contemporary society. Study has demonstrated the use of visual analysis to interpret data from popular culture. It indicates the need to psychologically analyze family structure in the contemporary society.