mysore more than 350 million people in india suffer from depression revealed prof jyothi s madagaonkar from the department of studies in psychology during the daylong workshop for teachers on students mental health the event was organized by the ugcacademy staff college university of mysore as a part of world mental health day celebrations she stressed on the need for teachers to act as doctors at times and be aware of the mental health of their patients the world health organization defines mental health as the physical social and psychological wellbeing of an individual and teachers play an important role in ensuring this she said she also revealed that every hour six students commit suicide due to depression that is borne out of stress students these days are burdened with responsibilities and are unable to cop up with stress they have hectic schedules and are at times deprived of a normal childhood which would include time for extra cocurricular activities and noncompetitive sports she said madagaonkar stressed on the need to have a counsellor in every school who the students can talk to when they are going through depression do not sympathize with a child who is depressed but empathize and provide necessary treatment she said