*23 May 2011* *K.C. Deepika* *BANGALORE*: The months of April and May have earned the infamous tag of being the time when the number of suicidal attempts or deaths peak.
Every year, soon after or during the examinations and announcement of results, an alarming percentage of children decide to take the extreme step of ending their lives, unable to cope with the stress of writing the exam, meeting parents' sky-high expectations, and their inevitable dismissal as “failures” in case the results are not positive. According to the Child Rights Trust (CRT), during the “cruellest months” this year, there were reports of at least 15 cases of attempted suicide in Bangalore, of which four children lost their lives. Sadly, the trend has not seen a decline as there are only a handful of preventive initiatives in place. To tackle this issue, CRT will launch the Rehabilitation and Anti-Suicide Forum (RASF) this month-end. The city-based forum, which will have the support of National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), among others, aims to introduce professional counselling for both parents and children where it is lacking. Nagasimha G. Rao, associate director of CRT, said the social stigma attached to suicide and the lack of concrete statistics are the main deterrents in prevention. “No one is talking about how to prevent suicide. Through RASF, we will go to schools and teach them the importance of boosting the confidence of students and about crisis management,” he said. He added that the forum will cater to children up to the age of 18. Throwing light on the factors involved in evoking suicidal thoughts in children, Mr. Rao said: “Every child is entitled to the right to life, development, protection and participation. The right to participation is largely violated.” The forum aims to be a law, psychology and rights-based one, and the activities will be aimed at spreading awareness, counselling and motivating students by giving them pledge cards as autosuggestion. The CRT also plans to write to the Department of State Educational Research and Training (DSERT) to include crisis management in the Class 10 and Pre-University syllabus. Reiterating the lack of professional knowledge required in handling the issue, Sanjeev Kumar, junior consultant at the Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, said that professional help is sought only when the case is serious. Dr. Kumar said that there was a system in place where NGOs could bring children in distress to NIMHANS for help. http://www.thehindu.com/2011/05/23/stories/2011052365030400.htm -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
