Enhancing School Mental Health through Experiential Hospital Visits: A Case Study

In India, mental and physical health issues, including suicide, are common among students.[1] However, these are often underrecognized due to stigma and lack of awareness.[1] In recent years, the mental health needs of students have gained increasing attention through various school-based initiatives, such as the School Health and Wellness Programme and the School Mental Health Programme.[2] However, these programs largely rely on classroom-based awareness sessions, which are mostly insufficient to address misconceptions about mental health and have a limited impact on meaningful behavioral change and help-seeking behavior.[3] Experiential learning based on Kolb’s learning cycle, involving direct interaction of students with healthcare environments, may be a more effective approach to improve awareness, reduce stigma, and promote help-seeking behavior for both mental and physical health.[4] To address some of these issues, we conducted a structured experiential hospital visit for students from a rural government secondary school, following a request from the school principal. The Plan–Do–Study–Act framework guided planning, implementation, and review of the visit.[5] Students received a previsit orientation on hospital processes, confidentiality, and the mind–body relationship. During the visit, they observed outpatient services in the departments of surgery and psychiatry, interacted with healthcare professionals (HCPs), and participated in guided discussions. Feedback was collected through group reflections and informal discussions. Students reported improved understanding of the link between mental and physical health, including the role of mental health in recovery and treatment outcomes among surgical patients. Exposure to clinical workflows reduced misconceptions, stigma, and fear related to medical and psychiatric care and highlighted the multidisciplinary nature of health care. Students recognized mental health as a routine part of care and expressed greater willingness to seek help for emotional or health concerns. The experiential visit was perceived as more engaging and memorable than classroom teaching. Students also appreciated the importance of empathy and communication in patient care, and some expressed interest in health-related careers. A structured experiential hospital visit is an innovative, feasible, and acceptable strategy for students, teachers, and HCPs to improve mental health literacy, promote positive attitudes, and enhance help-seeking behavior. Aligned with the National Education Policy, experiential learning complements traditional programs by enhancing real-world understanding of health systems and mental health. It may also strengthen linkages between schools and healthcare facilities, facilitating early identification and referral of students with mental health needs. This case study has limitations, including its single-school setting and reliance on group reflections and informal feedback. Future studies should include more schools and structured objective outcome measures. Nevertheless, structured experiential hospital visits represent a practical strategy to improve mental health awareness, reduce stigma, and promote help-seeking among students. Integrating such approaches into school health programs may strengthen mental health promotion and school–health system collaboration. Financial support and sponsorship This work is part of an extramural research project funded by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Dr. Ramdas Ransing is a part of the Mentor-in-Training Program under the project “Psychiatric Research Infrastructure for Intervention and Implementation in India – TEAMS” (Grant No. 5D43TW009114-12), funded by the Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA, aimed at strengthening capacity for mental health intervention and implementation research in India. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.