GMC Srinagar Starts First Suicide Helpline In  in Kashmiri, Urdu.

In a much needed step Government Medical College Srinagar set-up a Suicide Helpline, the first in India in Kashmiri and Urdu.

Suicides are preceded by warning signs, may be accompanied by mental health issues and can be prevented are the factors that have pushed GMC Srinagar to take this initiative.

On Tuesday, a group of 20 people, clinical psychologists, counselors and volunteers completed a weeklong training program that they had joined to learn the skills of helping a person deal with idea of self harm, including suicide.

The training is the first step that the Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (IMHANS) of GMC Srinagar has taken towards creating a Helpline for Suicides.

Speaking about the initiative, Prof Mohammad Maqbool Dar, Head Department of Psychiatry at GMC Srinagar said that suicides and mental health were closely linked and it was possible to make a difference with the right intervention at the right time.

“Mental health help needs to be accessible to all, even those who are not in a state or position to seek it. Many of these people need help desperately,” he said.

Dr Arshid Hussain, professor at the Department of Psychiatry at the medical college has been spearheading the initiative. He said the IMHANS was exploring how the proposal would go forward.

The initial plan, he said, was to link the helpline with the National Helpline being run by the Indian Psychiatry Society. “However, there are a few hurdles – that helpline runs from 8 pm to 1 am. That timing may be unsuitable for us,” he said.

Now, the Institute is finalising the proposal for starting the Suicide Helpline in J&K, with Urdu and Kashmiri as the languages, and the first such one in India. “We are planning that it runs at least 12 hours a day. We have the manpower, and would just need a little support to acquire the equipment,” he said.

While talking about the Helpline, Nyana Sabharwal, Career Suicidologist, a UK and USA Board certified expert who led the training in Kashmir, said, “A suicide helpline is more than just active listening. It is an intervention based approach, meant to save lives. Sabharwal is a lead member of Safe Spaces, which helps many states run similar help lines.

While talking about the Helpline, Nyana Sabharwal, Career Suicidologist, a UK and USA Board certified expert who led the training in Kashmir, said, “A suicide helpline is more than just active listening. It is an intervention based approach, meant to save lives. Sabharwal is a lead member of Safe Spaces, which helps many states run similar help lines.

“The grief, the taboo and the trauma is unimaginable. We need to reach out to such families to address the mental health issues that they may get into because of the incident,” he said.