Suicide Prevention Club comes up


TIRUCHI,TAMIL NADU, 07/09/2016 : K.Ramakrishnan,Founder Director, Athma hospitals Tiruchi, Inauguration of Suicide Prevention club at Bishop heber college in Tiruchi on wednesday....photo: A.Muralitharan

At a time when suicides by students are reported widely, a city college has launched a Suicide Prevention Club so as to create awareness among students.

A total of 90 students have registered themselves in the club that was launched at Bishop Heber College here on Wednesday. Nearly 50 per cent of them are girls. A programme has been charted out to utilise their services for three years on creating awareness against suicide.

As a first step, K. Ramakrishnan, a leading psychiatrist in the city, who inaugurated the club, presented before the club members facts and figures about suicide and prevention.

“There is a strong need for a concerted campaign to create awareness on suicide. Promoting positive mental health is need of the hour. Depression is a curable and preventable disease. Formation of the suicide prevention club is a step in the right direction,” he said.

Expressing concern over the steep rise in suicide rate in the country, Dr. Ramakrishnan said suicide rate was high in southern States including Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Increasing trend of disintegration from mainstream society, family and friends was among the reasons. Marriage-related issues, failure in examination, prolonged-illness, love affairs and depression were the main reasons.

Awareness

Creating awareness could prevent from people taking the extreme step to end their life.

Reena Robellow, Staff Advisor, Suicide Prevention Club, Bishop Heber College, said that the members of the club, who were in first year UG programmes, would initially create awareness among college students, classmates and friends as teenagers were among the vulnerable groups of suicide. The members would gradually be fanned out to places and villages, from where more suicides were reported.

The club’s programmes had been lined up with experts talks, workshops, street plays and drama.

“The club will achieve its goal if it identifies at least a few vulnerable persons and prevent them from taking the extreme step. I feel happy to be part of a most constructive club,” said S. Nathiya, a first year B.Sc Botany student.