#NO_MORE_STUDENT_SUICIDE !

 HYDERABAD: Student suicide has assumed epidemic proportions with one student committing suicide every 55 minutes in India, city psychologists said, days after two Class 10 girls leapt to death from the eight floor of an apartment complex.

“According to statistics, over the past three years more than 26,000 students have committed suicide across India. A majority of student suicides are caused by underlying psychiatric factors such as stress, depression and anxiety. It could result from difficulty in coping with academics, unrealistic expectations and pressure from parents and lack of support from peers. It is very important to identify the illness at an early stage and consult a mental health professional,” said Dr Virinchi Sharma, a psychiatrist.

As many as 9,474 students committed suicide in 2016 – almost 26 every day, according to a reply to the Lok Sabha by H G Ahir, Minister of State for Home Affairs, on January 2.

Student suicides in the country have increased 52 per cent – from 17 every day (6,248) in 2007 to 26 every day in 2016, data show.

Around 75,000 students committed suicides in India between 2007 and 2016.

Maharashtra reported the most — 1,350 — student suicides in 2016, or four every day, followed by West Bengal (1,147) and Tamil Nadu (981).

student suicide in IndiaData: Lok Sabha reply and National Crime Records Bureau

Failure in examinations led to 2,413 suicides by students in 2016 — or seven every day — accounting for 25 per cent of student suicides. Around 23,000 student suicide deaths (30 per cent) between 2007 and 2016 have been attributed to failure in examinations.

On April 3, 2017, Arjun Bharadwaj, a 24-year-old management student, committed suicide by jumping out of a 19th-floor hotel room in Mumbai. Media reporting suggested he had been depressed about failure in exams and repeatedly talked about ending his life on social media.

There were also suggestions he was battling drug addiction. Bharadwaj’s story made the headlines–likely because he killed himself at a five-star hotel and discussed suicide methods on Facebook–but it is no exception: Every hour, one student commits suicide in India, according to 2015 data ...

Alert! A student is committing suicide in India every hour


If you know anyone around you (or you for that matter) who is going through a stressful time and has suicidal tendencies, get help by calling these organisations who help others in distress. You can call these organisations anywhere from the country. 

The Mumbai-based organisation has a 24x7 dedicated free helpline number where professionally trained volunteers are there to answer the call. The volunteers can converse in Hindi and English. 

Helpline Number: +91 98204 66726  

The Fortis 24x7 Stress Helpline number is for students and/or parents who may have queries related to stress, mental well-being related to exams and academics. A team of mental health specialists, who can converse in English as well as regional Indian languages, from the hospital, will be there to help out. You can write to them at mentalhealth@fortishealthcare.com.  

Helpline Number: +91 83768 04102    

The Bangalore-based counselling centre has a dedicated helpline number where one can call in and get connected to professional & trained counsellors who can converse in English, Kannada, and Tamil. The helpline number is open from 1 pm to 10 pm, Monday through Friday. Online counselling sessions are also available should one need it. You can email them at parivarthanblr@gmail.com. 

Helpline Number:  +91 76766 02602    The Goa-based mental health organisation has both e-counselling as well as a suicide helpline number. They are available on call Monday through Friday between 1 pm and 7 pm. For e-counselling, one can send an email to youmatterbycooj@gmail.com. 

Helpline Number: +832 2252525     Sneha is a suicide prevention organization based out of Chennai. One can reach out to them via email at help@snehaindia.org. Their suicide helpline number can be reached on all days between 10 am and 2 pm. 

PS: Once the restrictions and lockdown get lifted in Chennai, the number can be reached out 24x7. 

Helpline Number: 044-24640050     iCall is an email and telephone-based counselling service run by Tata Institute of Social Sciences and they offer free services with the help of a team of qualified and trained mental health professionals. They are available Monday to Saturday between 8 am and 10 pm. 

Helpline Number: +91 22 2552111 and +91 91529 87821    Samaritans Mumbai is has trained volunteers and professionals to offer support for those who are stressed, distressed, depressed or feeling suicidal. One can call their helpline number between 5 pm and 8 pm all through the week or email them at talk2samaritans@gmail.com. They also offer a free service with a counsellor for those looking for professional help. You can connect with them Monday to Friday between 10 am and 4 pm to set up an appointment. 

Helpline Numbers:  +91 84229 84528, +91 84229 84529 and +91 84229 84530     The Vandrevala Foundation is an NPO and they are around-the-clock trained counsellors. Apart from their 24x7 helpline number, one can also email them on help@vandrevalafoundation.com. 

Helpline Number:  +91 730 459 9836, +91 730 459 9837, and 1860 2662 345

  

SUICIDE IS NOT A SOLUTION 

#NO_MORE_STUDENT_SUICIDE 
#NO_MORE_SUICIDE