RONO HILLS, 25 Sep: Rajiv Gandhi University’s Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies (AITS) – Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) conducted a ‘gatekeeper training’ as part of suicide risk reduction and improving mental health among school and college students here at the university on Thursday.
During the programme, NERIST Assistant Professor Vanita Pandey highlighted the deteriorating communications skills and emotional communications within the family “because of which there is growing dependence on technologies and social media.”
Pandey said that “the present situations are ultimately reducing the available support system and protective factors for any person at risk.”
AITS-ICMR project principal investigator Dr Tarun Mene gave an overview of the objectives and goals of the project, while highlighting the rising suicide cases in the state and lack of awareness on mental health support.
He emphasised the need for creating a resilient and healthy environment in institutes through providing first-aid mental health support and generating healthy conversation around suicide.
Representatives from different higher institutes, including seven from the NERIST, three from the North East Nursing Community Health Science and one from the Vivekananda Kendra College of Teacher Education, attended the training as gatekeepers.
The training programme was designed to build the capacity of the gatekeepers in several aspects, such as suicide risk assessment, first-aid counselling, sensitive communication, and encouraging help-seeking behaviour among students in times of distress.
