Introduction
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.
“Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community”.
“Sound public mental or psychical health is an essential pre-condition for developing a stable, safe and prosperous society”
-WHO
An estimated 804000 suicide deaths occurred worldwide in 2012, representing an annual global age-standardized suicide rate of 11.4 per 100 000 population (15.0 for males and 8.0 for females)1. In some countries, suicide rates are highest among the young, and globally suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15−29-year-olds1. Approximately, one million deaths by suicide occur worldwide each year i.e one death by suicide every 40 seconds. According to WHO estimates for the year 2020 and based on current trends, approximately 1.53 million people will die committing suicide, and 10-20 times more people will attempt suicide worldwide. This represents on average 1 death every 20 seconds and one attempt every 2 seconds. Nearly 30% of all suicides worldwide occur in India and China. As per the data provided by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) India, for the year 2012, rate of suicide stands at 11.2 cases for a population of 1 lakh i.e, on an average, 15 suicides an hour or 371 suicides a day2. The fact that 71% of suicides in India are by persons below the age of 44 years imposes a huge social, emotional and economic burden on the Indian society. Globally, the economic and human cost of suicidal behaviour to individuals, families, communities and society makes suicide a serious public health problem. Suicide Prevention: Public Health Approach Public Health is the science and art of promoting health, preventing disease, and prolonging life through the organized efforts of society. In the past, suicide was addressed by providing mental health services to people who were already experiencing or showing signs of suicidal behaviour. While services such as therapy and hospitalization are critical for those who may be thinking about or who may have attempted Suicide, they are actively sought by miniscule of the population. A social and public health response in addition to a mental health response is crucial to prevent suicidal behaviour. Concept of Suicide Gatekeepers “If general public understands that suicide and suicidal behaviour can be prevented, and people are made aware of the roles individuals and groups can play in prevention, many lives can be saved” - National Strategy for Suicide Prevention Suicide is preventable many a times. Most suicidal individuals desperately want to live; they are just unable to see alternatives to their problems and give definitive warnings of their suicidal intentions, but others are either unaware of the significance of these warnings or do not know how to respond to them. “Gate keepers” are “people who regularly come into contact with individuals or families in distress”; who are in a position to recognize a crisis and the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide. Since they are in …show more content…
Assessing the effectiveness of the strategy remains challenging due to the fact that there is no universal strategy for gatekeeper training or assessment.
The possible rationale for the effectiveness of Gatekeeper training could be the following:
• Increased education and awareness might help higher and early identification of mood or other psychiatric disorders
• Enhanced knowledge about Suicidal behaviours improves the risk recognition and assessment
• Better intervention skills shall increase the confidence and competence to intervene
• Awareness about the barriers to seek help, leads to effective strategies to circumvent and breakthrough the barriers
• Knowledge of the available community resources might help in providing better support to the individual
Gate keeper training holds promise as a part of a multifaceted strategy to combat suicide. It has been proven to positively affect the skills, attitudes and knowledge of the people who undertake the training in many settings. Although research is limited in demonstrating an effect on suicide rates and ideation, it is seen in many circles as an extremely promising initiative to prevent suicide”
- Gate keeper training as a preventive intervention for suicide – M.Isaac et.al
“Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.
“Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community”.
“Sound public mental or psychical health is an essential pre-condition for developing a stable, safe and prosperous society”
-WHO
An estimated 804000 suicide deaths occurred worldwide in 2012, representing an annual global age-standardized suicide rate of 11.4 per 100 000 population (15.0 for males and 8.0 for females)1. In some countries, suicide rates are highest among the young, and globally suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15−29-year-olds1. Approximately, one million deaths by suicide occur worldwide each year i.e one death by suicide every 40 seconds. According to WHO estimates for the year 2020 and based on current trends, approximately 1.53 million people will die committing suicide, and 10-20 times more people will attempt suicide worldwide. This represents on average 1 death every 20 seconds and one attempt every 2 seconds. Nearly 30% of all suicides worldwide occur in India and China. As per the data provided by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) India, for the year 2012, rate of suicide stands at 11.2 cases for a population of 1 lakh i.e, on an average, 15 suicides an hour or 371 suicides a day2. The fact that 71% of suicides in India are by persons below the age of 44 years imposes a huge social, emotional and economic burden on the Indian society. Globally, the economic and human cost of suicidal behaviour to individuals, families, communities and society makes suicide a serious public health problem. Suicide Prevention: Public Health Approach Public Health is the science and art of promoting health, preventing disease, and prolonging life through the organized efforts of society. In the past, suicide was addressed by providing mental health services to people who were already experiencing or showing signs of suicidal behaviour. While services such as therapy and hospitalization are critical for those who may be thinking about or who may have attempted Suicide, they are actively sought by miniscule of the population. A social and public health response in addition to a mental health response is crucial to prevent suicidal behaviour. Concept of Suicide Gatekeepers “If general public understands that suicide and suicidal behaviour can be prevented, and people are made aware of the roles individuals and groups can play in prevention, many lives can be saved” - National Strategy for Suicide Prevention Suicide is preventable many a times. Most suicidal individuals desperately want to live; they are just unable to see alternatives to their problems and give definitive warnings of their suicidal intentions, but others are either unaware of the significance of these warnings or do not know how to respond to them. “Gate keepers” are “people who regularly come into contact with individuals or families in distress”; who are in a position to recognize a crisis and the warning signs that someone may be contemplating suicide. Since they are in …show more content…
Assessing the effectiveness of the strategy remains challenging due to the fact that there is no universal strategy for gatekeeper training or assessment.
The possible rationale for the effectiveness of Gatekeeper training could be the following:
• Increased education and awareness might help higher and early identification of mood or other psychiatric disorders
• Enhanced knowledge about Suicidal behaviours improves the risk recognition and assessment
• Better intervention skills shall increase the confidence and competence to intervene
• Awareness about the barriers to seek help, leads to effective strategies to circumvent and breakthrough the barriers
• Knowledge of the available community resources might help in providing better support to the individual
Gate keeper training holds promise as a part of a multifaceted strategy to combat suicide. It has been proven to positively affect the skills, attitudes and knowledge of the people who undertake the training in many settings. Although research is limited in demonstrating an effect on suicide rates and ideation, it is seen in many circles as an extremely promising initiative to prevent suicide”
- Gate keeper training as a preventive intervention for suicide – M.Isaac et.al