The State Health Department has been able to counsel and save the lives of over 2,800 persons who reported repeated suicide attempts or self-harm in five general hospitals in Bengaluru. This counselling is part of a project taken up under the National Health Mission (NHM) in collaboration with NIMHANS.
September 10 is observed as World Suicide Prevention Day. In India, as many as 1,64,033 suicides were reported in 2021, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report. This is an increase of 7.2% in comparison to the previous year in terms of total numbers. At 12%, the rate of suicide (the number of suicides per one lakh population) in 2021 was the highest since 1967.
The project titled “Urban Self-HArm Study” (USHAS) involves assessment and intervention to reduce suicide intent and future attempts among survivors of such attempts. From October 1, 2022, when the project was initiated, till August 31, 2023, as many as 2,866 individuals have reported self-harm or previous attempts to end lives at five hospitals — Victoria, Bowring and Lady Curzon, Jayanagar General, K.C. General and C.V. Raman. These included 1,390 females and five transgenders.
Under the project, counsellors have been deputed to the emergency departments of these hospitals. While 1,362 cases were reported in Victoria Hospital, 656 were reported in K.C. General Hospital, 350 in Jayanagar General Hospital, 366 in Bowring Hospital and 132 in C.V. Raman Hospital, according to data from the department.
Psychosocial intervention
Rajani Parthasarathy, State Deputy Director (Mental Health), said the project seeks to facilitate psychosocial intervention, counselling and treatment at hospitals, if required, for those attempting suicide and their families.
“This group has been chosen for intervention because the members are prone to attempt to end their lives repeatedly. For example, one of the individuals who got intervention had made six attempts. Some would have attempted, and some would have thought about it. Such interventions are essential to stop them from repeating the act,” she said.
Suicide attempt clients are being catered to across all the health institutions in the State as mandated under Section 115 of the Mental Health Care Act, 2017. Anyone in distress can call Tele Manas helpline 14416 which functions round the clock, she said.
“After counselling the suicide attempt survivors and their families, the counsellors will do a telephonic follow-up for the next six months at regular intervals,” Dr. Rajani added.
Majority in 18-24 years
Anish V. Cherian, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychiatric Social Work at NIMHANS, who is the principal investigator of the project, said as many as 1,865 persons received intervention in the five hospitals. “While 15 of these re-attempted to end their lives after intervention, two died by suicide after our intervention. The remaining either refused intervention or got discharged against medical advice or did not provide correct phone numbers during admission,” Dr. Cherian said.
He said a majority of the 2,866 cases have been reported in the 18-24 years age group, followed by those in the 25-30 years group. “It was found that poisoning followed by medicine overdose are the most commonest methods used by these individuals,” he said.
State Health Commissioner Randeep D. said while this intense intervention is limited to five hospitals in the city as of now, he had issued a circular directing all hospitals in the State to provide counselling mandatorily and, if required, admit persons (who report self-harm or suicide attempts) locally instead of referring them to NIMHANS.
Most callers students, IT professionals
A majority of those who call the Bengaluru-based SAHAI Helpline for suicide prevention and emotional distress are students, IT professionals and victims of domestic violence. Run by volunteer counsellors, this helpline has been receiving nearly six to eight calls a day. “The number of callers have increased in the last one year,” said K.K. Rajagopal, the person behind SAHAI.
Wanting to come out of his depression after his daughter’s death, Mr. Rajagopal set up the helpline project in 2002 in association with NIMHANS, Rotary East and Medico Pastoral Association. The number is 25497777, and it functions between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday to Saturday.
