PANAJI
The community has a critical role to play in suicide prevention. As cases of death by suicide rise in India, an online counseling and emotional support platform designed to foster mental health, YourDOST, has appealed in a panel discussion for more efforts from the community to raise suicide prevention awareness. It has urged communities to be more vigilant and aware of complex inter-related factors that drive an individual to take their life. The 60-minute panel discussion was held to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.
Pointing out that suicide is a social issue and not an individual problem, the online discussion on ‘Suicide Prevention: The Importance of Community’ hosted by YourDOST had panelists like Dr Seema Sharma, clinical psychologist, Sandhya Menon, independent writer, journalist and a suicide survivor, Rajesh R Pillai, lawyer and president of Befrienders India and Raashi Thakran, a certified QPR trainer, and a suicide loss survivor. The discussion was moderated by Dr Jini K Gopinath, clinical psychologist and chief psychology officer at YourDOST. It touched topics that are generally considered a taboo such as dysfunctional families, poor consideration towards mental health, non-judgmental acceptance and practicing empathy without criticism.
Dr Gopinath from YourDOST stated, “Suicide is not just a psychological issue. It is a psycho-social issue. As a society, we miss the clues. We need to be mindful of signs from the psychological perspective. Listen actively and carefully. Link people in need with the experts and volunteers who can lend an empathetic ear.”
Adv Pillai felt that the community has a big role to play since not all suicides are due to mental illness but also due to apathy and lack of avenues to express oneself. “Being able to share one’s grief and air their trauma is a basic need of a human being. A systematic change at every level to create a more supportive ecosystem is imperative “ from family to teachers to governments, everyone has a role to play in avoiding these instances,” he stated.
Dr Sharma’s opinion was, “Suicides due to life events or psycho-social situations deserve much greater attention. Generally, as a society we are not very supportive, rather judgmental especially when it is about mental wellness, personal choices, grief, and trauma. Any individual showing suicidal tendencies or contemplating a drastic step needs a listening ear and compassion.”
Sandhya, mental wellness writer and a survivor spoke about her own experience with suicidal attempts and triggers. Mental wellness champion Raashi who has been actively driving a campaign for the launch of a National Suicide Prevention Helpline, pointed out that death does not happen to the person that dies. “It also happens to the people left behind,” said Raashi.
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