The Psychological Counselling Cell /The Drug De-Addiction of Govt. Degree College for Women, Kathua under the aegis of IQAC in collaboration with Block Medical Officer, Sub-District Hospital, Nagri Parole Kathua organised an insightful and impactful health talk on " Suicide Prevention" with a host of activities . The event aimed to raise awareness about mental health and suicide prevention among students and the local community.
The event was organised under the able guidance of Dr. Savi Behl, Principal of the college. The event started with traditional lighting of the lamp by chief guest of the ocassion Koushal Kumar, SSP District Jail Kathua in presence of Dr. Savi Behl, Ajay Sharma, Nodal Officer, Mental Health, Sub district Hospital, Nagri Parole, Dr. Renu, Convenor of the Psychological Counselling Cell, faculty members and students of the college. In her opening remarks, Dr. Savi Behl mentioned that it has been estimated that suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among the late adolescent age groups (15-19 years) in India. According to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), more than 40 per cent of all cases of suicides are among young adults below the age of 30. She added that "In India, the magnitude of the young people dying by suicide is unfortunately very high. The number of young people who died by suicide in India is almost double in comparison to the global average. Approximately 160 young persons' die by suicide daily in India."
Chief guest on the occasion, Koushal Kumar elaborated that globally, someone dies by suicide every 40 seconds. Suicide can impact anyone - people of all ages and backgrounds. While Suicide Awareness Month seeks to raise awareness about the country's concerning suicide rates, the awareness month also seek to help students and teen agers to learn that suicide is preventable and several factors can protect an individual, including building effective coping and problem-solving skills; feeling connected to school, community and other institutions; feeling connected to others; and reduced access to lethal means of suicide.
Another significant address was delivered by Mr. Ajay Kumar, Nodal Officer, Mental Health, Block Parole, who explained the causes, symptoms, and prevention strategies for suicides, focusing on young people. He shared valuable insights on recognizing early warning signs of mental distress and the role of communities, families, and institutions in providing support.
While welcoming participants, Dr. Renu Convenor of Psychological Counselling Cell stressed upon the importance of awareness among the youths about the negative impacts of suicidal tendencies on mental health. She emphasized the devastating impact of suicide on families. She also urged the students to be vigilant and to spread the message of good mental health and positive state of mind. In order to raise awareness on the on-going Suicide Prevention month, GDCW Kathua also organised declamation in which 5 students of the college namely Dalu Mangotra, Deepti Singh, Muskan Thakur, Mehnaz Akhter and Lakshmi Devi spoke about the ill effects of suicides on our society.
Dr. Sonika Jasrotia offers the formal vote of thanks. Dr. Ajay Sanotra and Dr. Surekha Rani played a vital role in making a event successful. Other faculty members present in the event are Dr. Kamini Kapoor and Dr. Gurpreet Kour. The proceedings of the programme were conducted by Muskan Thakur.