I wish my student had Better Guidance
28 students die by suicide EVERY DAY in India
There has been a 60% increase in student suicide between 2015-19 compared to 2005-09. Suicide rates in India are the highest in the age group 15-29 years (38 per 100,000 population) The report says that among men, 40% suicides were by individuals aged 15-29, while for women it was almost 60%
The pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues, some studies showing cases of anxiety and depression have DOUBLED in the last yearThe pandemic has exacerbated mental health issues, some studies showing cases of anxiety and depression have DOUBLED in the last year
“India has the highest number of deaths by suicide in youngsters. Across the world the largest cause of death in youth is road accidents, but in India, it’s suicide.”
Dr Amit Sen
Psychiatrist, Children First Mental Health Institute, Delhi
“Stress, anxiety disorder, depression, personality disorder — all these result in mental illness that leads a student towards suicide. Relationship breakdown is another leading cause."
- Mrugesh Vaishnav
President of the Indian Psychiatric Society
Students face several challenges that lead them to take such a tragic step.
The following are some examples of negative life stressors:
Academic stress
Suffer from low self-esteem
Having feelings of loneliness
Recent stressful life events, such as not meeting high parental expectations
Child sexual abuse
Physical abuse by parents or teachers
Neurodevelopmental vulnerabilities
Other developmental trauma
Some of the student life stressors are unavoidable but suicide is preventable
College based programmes are accessible, on-going and are the need of the hour to prevent youth suicide. The GATEKEEPER approach is a promising tool to address this issue.
Effectiveness of QPR training in colleges:
Increase in gatekeeper’s knowledge of suicide risk assessment and management
Improvement in skills of observing any abnormal signs and dealing with at-risk individuals appropriately
Increase in confidence in dealing with individuals who are at risk of suicide
Positive grains in attitude towards suicide
Speaking with students who are at risk of suicide
Higher chance of referring students to mental health services
Help your college!
We can HELP prepare your educational institution to address mental health issues and prevent suicide by delivering a range of proactive interventions customised to your specific needs. Partnering with the QPR Institute, a global leader in suicide prevention, we can help you create a suicide prevention strategy as well as a Mental Health Policy through inputs from your students and faculty. Rather than waiting to offer support in a moment of crisis, allow us to prepare your college to develop the institutional mechanisms necessary to enhance the resilience of the staff and student body, create an atmosphere of psychological health and safety, and communicate to all employees and students that they are valued.
You can also become a Gatekeepr which is a WHO recommended suicide prevention strategy to help those who are emotionally distressed or potentially suicidal. Trained Gatekeepers learn to recognize signs of suicide, provide emotional support, persuade to get help, and refer those with suicidality to mental health support services.
