.jpg)
Program Title: Mental Health and Suicide Prevention
Target Audience: First-year students
Facilitators: Mr. Leo Francis & Mrs. Maria Nirmala
Duration and Dates: From: June 23rd - To: June 25th
As per the request from the UGC, an awareness program on MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE PREVENTION was organized for our 1st year students, aiming to provide a foundational understanding of these vital subjects. The sessions were expertly facilitated by our distinguished student counselors, Mr. Leo Francis and Mrs. Maria Nirmala, whose guidance was instrumental in the program's success. Conducted over three days, from June 23rd to June 25th, the program was meticulously organized department-wise to ensure broad participation. A significant number of students, approximately 350, actively engaged in the sessions, attending in various groups.
The awareness program adopted a holistic approach, addressing two primary domains: Mental Health and Suicide Prevention. Each session was carefully structured to delve into specific sub-points, providing students with a thorough and nuanced understanding of these complex issues.
Mental Health
The mental health segment of the program focused on common challenges that students often face and their profound impacts on academic and personal life. A key area covered was:
1. Stress & Burnout: It was explained how persistent stress can culminate in burnout—a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion, characterized by an overwhelming sense of being unable to meet continuous demands.
2. Anxiety was another crucial topic, exploring its various manifestations among students. The following points were discussed. Fear of Failure: A pervasive fear of not meeting expectations (their own, parents', or societal). Uncertainty about Future Outcomes: Worry about getting a good job, admission to a desired postgraduate program, or even the
relevance of their degree in a rapidly changing job market. Language Barriers: For students from non-English medium backgrounds, adjusting to English-medium instruction in higher education can add to academic anxiety. The facilitators clarified how anxiety can present through both physical symptoms, such as rapid heartbeat and sweating, and mental manifestations, including difficulty concentrating and irritability.
3. Depression, emphasizing that it extends far beyond mere sadness. Characterized by persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed changes in sleep and appetite, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, difficulty concentrating, and recurrent thoughts of death or suicide. This is the most severe form and requires professional intervention.
4. Usage of Drugs: Furthermore, the program tackled the sensitive issue of Usage of Drugs, including "cool lip," alcohols, and other illicit substances. This segment aimed to educate students on the inherent dangers and severe consequences of substance abuse. The discussion elucidated how substance use can frequently serve as a maladaptive coping mechanism for stress or emotional pain, often leading to dependence, exacerbating existing mental health issues, and causing severe health problems.
5. Usage of Mobile Phone: Finally, the impact of excessive Usage of Mobile Phone, particularly for gaming, was explored. This topic shed light on how prolonged and uncontrolled mobile phone use can lead to addiction, resulting in compulsive behavior despite negative repercussions. It also discussed how such use can contribute to social isolation by reducing face-to-face interactions, disrupt sleep patterns due to blue light exposure and late-night gaming, and lead to academic neglect as gaming takes precedence over studies. The session advocated for balanced digital habits.
Suicide Prevention
The suicide prevention component of the program was designed to empower students with the ability to recognize warning signs and understand contributing factors, providing crucial knowledge for timely intervention and support.
1. Isolation was identified as a significant behavioral warning sign, characterized by an individual withdrawing from social interactions. It was explained that at-risk individuals might begin to avoid friends, family activities, social gatherings, or hobbies they once found enjoyable. This isolation can paradoxically act as both a symptom of distress and a factor that intensifies feelings of loneliness and despair.
2. Sleep Changes were highlighted as another critical potential warning sign, encompassing marked alterations in sleep patterns. This covered two extreme scenarios: extreme insomnia, where the inability to sleep leads to exhaustion and heightened distress, and excessive sleeping, where individuals spend unusually long hours asleep, often as a means to escape reality or due to overwhelming fatigue associated with depression. Both extremes were presented as potential indicators of underlying mental health crises.
3. Hopelessness/Helplessness: The profound emotional states of Hopelessness/Helplessness were addressed as strong predictors of suicidal thoughts. This segment elaborated on feeling trapped, which is the belief that there is no escape from a difficult situation or persistent pain, and the pervasive sense of "no way out," where problems appear insurmountable and solutions nonexistent. These feelings, it was explained, can lead individuals to perceive suicide as their only option.
4. Previous Attempts: A crucial and sobering point was the discussion on Previous Attempts, emphasizing that a history of suicide attempts stands as the single strongest predictor of future attempts. The program underscored the paramount importance of taking any prior attempt with utmost seriousness and providing immediate, continuous support to individuals with such a history, as their risk is significantly elevated.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Awareness Program were successfully executed for the first-year students, effectively covering a spectrum of critical topics pertinent to their overall well-being. The sessions, expertly led by Mr. Leo Francis and Mrs. Maria Nirmala, played a pivotal role in educating students on how to identify signs of distress, both in themselves and among their peers. This initiative is a crucial step towards cultivating a supportive and understanding environment within the student community, and its comprehensive approach to both mental health challenges and suicide prevention indicators is fundamental to fostering a mentally healthy and safe campus.