Suicide risk reductions

What is EAS? and how it will help students

Suicide is a serious global health issue, taking over 7 million lives each year (WHO, 2023).

● It is the 4th leading cause of death among people aged 15–29.
● In 2022, over 1.7 lakh people in India died by suicide.
o 7.6% were students.
o 2,248 suicides were linked to exam failure.
● In Assam, the suicide rate is 9.3 per 100,000 – the highest among Northeast states.
● 412 student suicides were recorded in Assam alone.

Interventions

Leadership Engagement

Heads of institutions are engaged to support mental health efforts in line with UMMEED and UGC
guidelines.

  • They attend a half-day workshop to understand the project.
  • Regular follow-ups are done to ensure continued support.
  • Recognize signs of stress or suicide risk in students
  • Offer initial support
  • Refer students to proper mental health services
  • Training includes a 1-day workshop and regular guidance.

Gatekeeper Training

Teachers, wardens, and counselors are trained to:

Youth Engagement & Peer Support

Selected students become Youth Champions to:

  • Promote mental health on campus
  • Support their classmates
  • Encourage help-seeking
  • They undergo a 2-day training program.
  • Booklets
  • Pamphlets
  • Videos
  • These promote emotional well-being and positive coping skills.

Self-Help Resources

We provide easy-to-use self-help tools such as:

Where We Work

The project is running in Kamrup Rural District, Assam – covering 12 blocks:
Sualkuchi, Hajo, Rampur, Uparhali, Azara, Chhaygaon, Boko, Nagarbera, North Guwahati,
Rangia, Bihdia, and Kamalpur.

District Mental Health Program (DMHP)

● The District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) is the largest and most important public health
initiative in India for mental health, aiming to integrate mental healthcare with general
healthcare. The origins of the DMHP lie within the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP)
launched in 1982, where India was one of the first developing countries to adopt such a
programme.
● Outside the DMHP : MHPs 6 (AIIMS), 0 Private MHPs , 12 counselors (RBSK , one in each block) ,
2 Counselor DTCP , 1 ARSH counselor, not trained

Trainings & Workshops Attended by the Team

● Qualitative Research Training – Learning how to conduct FGDs, IDIs, and analyze data.
● Leadership & Gatekeeper Training – Understanding how to implement the project better.
● Child Abuse Prevention Workshop (Nov 14, 2024) – Focused on child protection laws and cyber
safety.
● Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis (Dec 9–13, 2024) – Evidence-based suicide research using
R, CMA, STATA.
● CME & Life Skills Workshop (Jan 5, 2025) – Stress management and life skills for schools.
● Qualitative Methods in Health Research (Jan 10–11, 2025) – Data collection and ethics.
● International Conference on Youth Addiction (Jan 30–31, 2025) – Organized by Gauhati
University and funded by ICSSR.