KOCHI: With 66 children taking their lives during lockdown, the state government has directed its efforts towards addressing the mental and emotional wellbeing of minors. ‘Chiri’, a tele-counselling initiative, was launched by chief minister in this regard
In what can be seen as an alarming repercussion of the pandemic-induced lockdown, the state witnessed a spike in the number of child suicide cases during the period, raising concern over the mental and emotional wellbeing of the children. Suicide has been identified as the third leading cause of death among young adults. As per statistics, an average of over 300 child suicides are recorded in Kerala every year. Over 110 children took their lives between January and June this year. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday said that as many as 66 minors committed suicide since the lockdown was announced on March 25.
As per studies, a student commits suicide every hour in India. According to a World Health Organisation report, about 20 percent of adolescents in Kerala have one or more behavioural problems. Though various departments have launched multiple initiatives for the mental wellbeing of the children, effective interventions are yet to happen at the school level.
Head of child and adolescent psychiatry wing of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital Dr Anil Kumar T V said efforts should be taken to make early psychosocial intervention among children to prevent depression and suicidal thoughts. “We have to catch them early and focus should be given on prevention. Teachers need to be trained as they are the ones who are in close contact with a child. They should have the ability to identify troubling traits among students and report to the school counsellors. Parents also have a huge role. In most cases, the triggering reason behind the suicide could have been easily preventable,” said Dr Anil.
Physical counselling
Director of Women and Child Development Department T V Anupama said the disturbing trend is a reflection of many other prevailing issues. “Emotional trauma, study-related pressure and other societal issues are driving children to suicide. The only way to overcome this is by stepping up guardian support. With schools shut, teachers and counsellors are unable to identify children showing distress and make the required intervention,” said Anupama. According to her, physical counselling is more effective.
“Right now, phone counselling is the only way to reach out to these children. We have recently launched a psychosocial programme to find children with issues with the help of anganwadi and ASHA workers. We have given them a special checklist prepared by the State Mental Health Authority and directed them to hand over the contact numbers of children in their jurisdiction to the district mental health authorities immediately,” Anupama added.
Apprehensions and anxieties surrounding attending online classes, romantic relationships, use of social media, domestic and parental problems, substance abuse and alcohol abuse are among the issues driving children to take the drastic step. With the situation becoming grave, the chief minister has announced the launch of ‘Chiri’, a tele-counselling initiative by Student Police Cadets. The government has also formed a committee headed by Kerala Fire and Rescue Services DGP R Sreelekha to conduct a study on child suicides in the state.
Our Responsibility to Children (ORC), an initiative launched by Kochi IG P Vijayan, aims to address deviant behaviour in children. The ORC is currently being implemented in 400 schools across the state.
Class PTA meeting must “The initiative has been a huge success and should be implemented in all schools in the state. The emotional and behavioural issues of children need to be addressed. Parents and teachers should mentor the children collectively and schools should act as a hub for such interactions. Many children choose to end their lives because they cannot take a ‘no’ for an answer. There should be a class PTA meeting instead of a school PTA,” said Vijayan.
He added that the Children and Police (CAP) initiative launched by Kerala Police aims at ensuring better protection for children. “The objective of CAP is to bring a convergence of various child welfare initiatives by the various departments under one roof.” State Mental Health Programme nodal officer P S Kiran said the counsellors involved in the recently launched psychosocial intervention programme have already made thousands of calls to children. “Around 9,000 of the 51,000 children reached out to by our counsellors needed counselling. We launched the initiative before the announcement of the SSLC exam results to provide mental support for students,” he said.
help is avaialble
Children and Police (CAP) initiative launched by Kerala Police aims at ensuring better protection for children