Srinagar: On World Suicide Prevention Day 2024, a program with an interactive session was held in the Auditorium of SKIMS Medical College Bemina. The event was organized by the Department of Psychiatry with the support of the Department of SPM SKIMS MCH. The program addressed the rising mental health issues, particularly in the post-COVID-19 period. Stigma, discrimination, and the inaccessibility of mental health facilities, especially in geographically challenging areas, were highlighted as barriers to treatment. The program focused on the theme, “Changing the Narrative, Start the Conversation.” Speakers included Prof. Ab. Majid Ganai, Head of the Department of Psychiatry; Prof. Sajad Ahmed Sheikh, Head of the Department of Ophthalmology and currently overseeing the college’s routine affairs; Prof. Ajaz Ahmed Rather, Registrar Academic; and Prof. Ashfaq Ahmed, Head of the Department of SPM SKIMS MCH. Dr. Nisar, an Assistant Professor, discussed stress management, and the psychology team facilitated an interactive session. The target audience was medical students who shared their concerns. There was a consensus on the need for stakeholders to implement the National Suicide Prevention Strategy, which follows the WHO-recommended model:
– Primary prevention interventions focused on the entire population,
– Secondary prevention interventions focused on high-risk individuals, and
– Tertiary prevention interventions focused on individuals affected by suicide.(KNS)
