Ranchi, September 10: The Jharkhand Health Department has launched a week-long awareness campaign on suicide prevention, with programmes planned in schools and colleges across the state from September 10 to 16.
The initiative, being conducted in connection with World Suicide Prevention Day, will primarily focus on teenagers, women and unemployed youth.
The campaign aims to encourage open discussions on mental health, create awareness about warning signs of severe emotional distress and promote timely access to support.
Speaking at a programme organised at Ranchi Sadar Hospital, National Health Mission Director Shashi Prakash Jha said awareness activities would help young people understand issues related to mental health, stress and emotional well-being.
He stressed the need to reach a large number of students and educational institutions and encouraged people facing mental or emotional difficulties to talk to family members, friends or healthcare professionals instead of dealing with problems in isolation.
As part of efforts to improve mental healthcare services, the department is also working towards making psychiatric services more accessible across the state. Psychotropic medicines are being provided free of cost at government hospitals, while plans are underway to ensure the availability of psychiatrists in all districts.
The campaign will also educate students and the wider public about behavioural changes that may indicate emotional distress, including social withdrawal, persistent stress, feelings of hopelessness and unusual changes in behaviour or emotions.
Ranchi district nodal officer Dr Seema Gupta said hesitation in discussing personal problems can make emotional distress more difficult to manage.
She urged people to seek support when they or someone around them appears to be struggling.The department has also highlighted the need for responsible use of social media and encouraged young people to maintain communication with parents, teachers and healthcare professionals.
The awareness campaign is being held under the theme “Changing the Narrative on Suicide”, which emphasises a more open, sensitive and supportive approach to mental health and suicide prevention.
Through the week-long programme, health officials aim to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health concerns and encourage people to seek help at an early stage.
