WINNING THE GLOBAL WAR AGAINST SUICIDE

There is a different kind of pandemic secretly ravaging the world today and it’s not Covid-19 or any infectious disease of any sort. Neither is it war or hunger. It is SUICIDE. The alarming rates at which people of all races, religion, social status, age and education are resorting to taking their own lives either out of frustration, despair, poverty, abuse, peer pressure, or general conflicts have reached alarming scales to warrant global efforts aimed at reversing this ugly tide.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recently reported that about 730,000 people commit suicide annually. The global health institution said in every 45 seconds someone dies of suicide around the world., explaining that for each suicide, approximately 135 people suffer intense grief, “resulting in 108 million people, annually, who are profoundly impacted by suicidal behaviours.” Furthermore, the WHO stated that for every suicide, there are many more people who attempt suicide. It went on to state that suicide is the fourth leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds, while 77% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. These are worrisome statistics especially considering the rising cases of suicide amongst teenagers and young adults.

While there are no known single most critical cause of suicide, it has been observed that mental health challenges, peer pressures, financial difficulties, abusive relationships, dysfunctional families, bullying, proliferation of firearms, alcohol, and sexual exploitation amongst others have been indicated as contributory factors to the rising cases of suicides around the world.

Every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and entire countries and has long-lasting effects on the people left behind. Suicide occurs in both low-income and high-income countries, and is a global phenomenon in all regions of the world irrespective of sex, age and religion. Although suicide is a serious public health problem, it is however preventable with timely, evidence-based and often low-cost interventions by both the public and private sectors.

Global Suicide Prevention Squad

Fortunately, there is a private sector-led global initiative to mitigate this development especially among the upwardly mobile demography, including children and young adults, which is championed by the Global Suicide Prevention Squad, led by Mr. Isaac Agarwal, based out of Mumbai, India. According to Mr. Isaac Agarwal, the Global Suicide Prevention Squad Founded since 2017 is “doing our part to solve the problem by conducting Suicide Prevention – Awareness and Training programs, for students, teachers and parents in thousands of school across India, with a goal to make India Suicide Free by 31st December 2025”. This is being accomplished through their regular suicide prevention and awareness programs where they provide expert advise, guidance, counselling and other intervention resources to young people in schools, as well as professionals in their workplaces around the world. So far, the Global Suicide Prevention Squad has reached over 500,986 people till date, saving over 21,675 lives.

^{Picture 1: Above: Mr. Isaac Agarwal conducting Suicide Prevention and Awareness Training for personnel of NSCDC in Port Harcourt Nigeria}

According to information available on their website, the Global Suicide Prevention Squad employs a unique philosophy to pursue its goals of ending suicide in India by 2025. This philosophy is called Jeeva Mein Asha Hai which literally means “There’s Hope in Life”.

^{Picture 2 & 3}: ^{Mr. Isaac Agarwal and his colleague conducting Suicide Prevention and Awareness Training for young people in India}

JEEVAN MEIN ASHA HAI (There is Hope in Life)

 Jeevan Mein Asha Hai ( There is Hope in Life) is a initiative of Kinging Youth Foundation, which is another of their vehicles for achieving a suicide-free world.  According to them “The Core Vision of this program is to have a suicide-free world by 31st December 2030. We aim to achieve the same by raising  15 million (1 crore 50 lakh) volunteers in India, 2 million (20 Lakh) in Nigeria, 80 million (8 Crore) volunteers called JEEVAN RAKSHAKS (LIFE SAVIOURS) worldwide.” Thus, with this global army of people dedicated to spreading the message of hope in life rather than despair, the Global Suicide Prevention Squad hopes to eradicate suicides in the world. They are the true Life Savers!

Become A Life Saviour (JEEVAN RAKSHAK)

A Life Saviour is Jeevan Rakshak in Hindi and according to the Global Suicide Prevention Squad, a Life Saver has three key responsibilities which includes:

1) Acting as early warning mechanisms for recognizing suicidal red flags in people in their circle of influence

2) Responding as the first line of defense against suicide by counselling the individuals at such early stages

3) Guiding them to an experts for further professional treatment via the comprehensive Suicide Prevention Program

PREVENTING SUICIDE

According to the WHO, Suicide prevention efforts require coordination and collaboration among multiple sectors of society, including the health sector and other sectors such as education, labour, agriculture, business, justice, law, defence, politics, and the media. These efforts must be comprehensive and integrated as no single approach alone can make an impact on an issue as complex as suicide. With more individual and group efforts such as those of the Global Suicide Prevention Squad, Kinging Youth Foundation, and their partners, eliminating, or at least, reducing the challenges of suicides in the world will not only be a possibility but also a reality.

For more information and enquiries on how you can partner with the Global Suicide Prevention Squad and Kinging Youth Foundation to eradicate suicidal tendencies in the world by 2030, please visit their website www.ispsquad.com or send an email to ispsquad1@gmail.com

The Power Of Praise

A word of praise, especially from parents, goes a long way towards building a child’s self-esteem

 

Invited to attend the annual day function of a kindergarten and primary school in Secunderabad, I happened to sit alongside the principal, an exceptional Educationist. Just then, a girl, aged around four, walked into the room holding a sheet of paper. She gave it to the principal who praised the child for such a beautiful drawing. To me, it seemed there were merely some lines and a blob of paint in the middle. The child, with a sparkle in her eyes and a glow on her face walked out of the room. Answering the question in my eyes, the principal told me that the little girl was shy and it was very difficult to motivate her to participate in classroom activities. She needed praise to gain confidence and take part in group activities. The principal elaborated, “Praise makes a child feel good about herself”. She will not only have a good notion of herself, but will also learn better. What she said has remained with me and I use it as a strategy to motivate children who seem disinterested both in class work and play — children who sit passively waiting for that glow of approval!

According to Skinner, the well-known American psychologist, praise encourages us to better our performance and take risks that benefit our lives. It helps us take steps towards achievement. At any stage, praise received or given can change our lives and the lives of those around us. In children, the turnabout can be amazing. I remember the time when I used to teach eight-year-olds. I always praised them a lot for their efforts and small achievements. Then, one year, I had a boy in my class who was very difficult to manage. I ignored his bad behavior and praised him whenever he behaved well. In just a matter of 15 days, the change in his behavior was astounding. He stopped being a nuisance. All he wanted was to be treated like the rest of the children in the class!

The question most parents and adults ask is when and how to praise. Counsellors and professionals in the field of mental health believe that praise is more effective when it is specific and honest. Being specific helps a child understand exactly why he is being praised. If he is praised for everything, then there is a possibility that he will never work hard enough or set his sights on a particular goal. Praise is also likely to lose its impact if it is vague, for instance, when a child is praised though he has not put in any effort or accomplished anything. Be honest. Children and youth can tell when praise is genuine. You do not always have to use words of praise — a thumbs-up sign, a smile, a wink or even a nod will work wonders.

Praise needs to be genuine, sincere and focused on your child’s effort and not necessarily on the outcome. For example, praise and encourage your child for going to cricket practice, working hard on improving his skill and facing new challenges, instead of doing so only when he wins. When praise acknowledges the processes of completing an activity or solving a problem, it can contribute to a child becoming a confident, competent and responsible grown-up. On the other hand, insincere or too much praise can be detrimental as it will lead the child to an inaccurate sense of his strengths and limitations.

Some parents believe that if they praise too much or too often, their child will become conceited or overconfident. Your child may become so if you are insincere in your praise. This can hinder his growth because he has no way of knowing what he can improve on or what he should do to please you. Children are not dependent on praise to feel good. They actually repeat behaviours that earn praise.

It is important to remember that for some children the more praise they receive, the more they rely on adult evaluation instead of forming their own judgement.

Just as praise must be specific, it should also be immediate. Do not wait for a particular time or opportunity to praise. The glow of approval fades faster, particularly with small children. Children never stop yearning for praise, especially from their parents. There’s nobody on earth that children yearn to please and impress more than their parents.

Praise plays a vital role in our lives and more so in the lives of our children. It nurtures their self-esteem and confidence. Therefore, is it not better to give your child too much praise than too little? 

 

(c) 2014: Farida Raj