Severely distressed, 40-year old Payal was seriously contemplating
suicide, but her timely call to COOJ’s suicide prevention helpline stayed that
thought. Today, this bipolar patient is facing life’s oddities with equanimity
after begin referred to the right treatment. Not many, however, have been as
lucky as Payal.
But help is at hand as a few NGOs make concerted efforts to create
awareness and prevent people from taking their own lives.
COOJ Mental Health Foundation, who kick-started their ‘Go Yellow
Campaign’ on Independence Day, has set out a series of activities to create awareness
as well as gatekeeper workshops for early detection and intervention in Goa.
“Our main goal is to educate people that suicide is a preventable condition. If
assistance is sought in time, many a suicide can be avoided,” informs
Foundation member Donna Noronha. Sangath at Porvorim is another centre which
has been doing yeoman service towards suicide prevention.
Taking a detour from the practised norm, Sangath has been training
counsellors to go out into the community to help people-at-risk. “We noticed
that people who need help hardly turn up for workshops. Due to a paucity of
psychiatrists, we are trying to develop a corpus of lay counsellors, by giving
them the training and then sending them out to people in need. Suicide is an
issue that needs to be address immediately,” informs Dr Amit Dias, Chairperson,
Sangath and Assistant Professor, Department of Preventative Medicine, GMC. The
on-going ‘DIL’ project (depression in late life) in Santacruz and Mandur is an
example of this. Over the years, Sangath has been addressing suicide-prevention
issues that arise from various physical and mental health disorders.
The onus of prevention however rests with society at large. “Approaching
suicide prevention is not only the job of a psychiatrist, but a multi-factorial
one. Everyone is responsible – the clergy, the media, the law, society and
educationists – to help students develop coping skills. More importantly,
health authorities need to have proper intervention systems in place. There is
an urgent need for a government policy for suicide prevention. To prevent
access to lethal means and safety on bridges,” avers Dr Peter Castellino,
Director COOJ and President Goa Psychiatrist Society.
