Nimhans to launch suicide prevention module

Bengaluru, DHNS: Aiming to bring down the suicide rates, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) has developed a community-based suicide prevention model, SURveillance system to trAcK suicide and Self-HArm (SURAKSHA).

The model aims to engage with the community to sensitise and train them to tackle the increasing suicide rates.

Speaking to DH, Dr Pratima Murthy, director, NIMHANS, said that the model will empower the community to respond better to the suicidal tendency among people. "Over the years, the community structure has changed drastically and there is a need to empower communities to be able to act upon and respond to individuals with such tendencies. Our team will work closely with the local community, panchayat, hospitals, and all the stakeholders,” she said.

According to the model, the Village Health Task Force that was constituted during Covid will be trained to act as a Suicide Surveillance Team (SST). SST will be trained on suicide risks and protective factors.

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“We have also developed training modules for teachers and school students to create awareness on mental health. This will help bring down the suicide rates. We will also work closely with local hospitals to counsel the individuals and families who present to the hospital with suicidal inclinations,” said Dr Anish V Cherian, Principal Investigator, SURAKSHA.

That apart, the team has also laid out measures to reduce access to means. “Since ours is an agrarian economy, in many of the rural areas, pesticides are easily accessible and those are used as the means in many suicides. Hence, we plan to set up a centralised pesticide storage unit in every Taluk to ensure access is restricted,” Dr Cherian added.

The module will be launched on a pilot basis across four Taluks– Mangaluru, Channapatna, Bellary, and Haveri. SURAKSHA is a joint initiative of NIMHANS, the Karnataka State Government, and is funded by the Himalaya Wellness Company under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

This will be launched on February 23.