BENGALURU: With proper care, counselling, and regular follow-ups, people are less likely to re-attempt suicide after initial rescue, observed mental health experts. With World Suicide Prevention Day observed on September 10, Dr Anish V Cherian, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, (NIMHANS) highlighted the need for more youth-based mental health literacy programmes to reduce the suicide cases among youngsters. He is also the principal investigator for Urban Self Harm Study (USHAS) that was initiated to study attempt to suicide cases to prevent the rising numbers.
Karnataka health department has recorded 2,865 attempt-to-suicide cases since October 2022, across five major hospitals in Bengaluru, and 15 of those people were observed to have re-attempted to end their life.
Dr Rajini P, deputy director (mental health), told TNSE that this initiative was started in association with National Health Mission (NHM) and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) as a pilot study, focusing on five hospitals in the city to meticulously follow suicide cases and understand the psyche of patients, along with regular follow ups to ensure they do not reattempt a suicide.
Doctors have observed that people are seen attempting to end their life over issues like being scolded by parents, or issues with their partner. Counselling helped identify that attempts to end life are made due to lack of coping strategies.
Dr Cherian observed that currently, 60 per cent of the attempt to suicide cases are recorded are among youngsters. With 1.64 lakh suicide cases recorded in the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2021 data, he called it a public health concern, and suggested surveillance and counselling for people prone to suicide. Family and friends play a major role in supporting them emotionally. Karnataka health department data has shown that the District Mental Health Programme, has been helpful in reducing the number of cases.