IHBAS holds ‘Gatekeeper Training’ for teachers to boost mental health awareness

Gatekeeper training sessions are based on the Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) model which helps identify suicide warning signs and connect at-risk people with professional help

New Delhi: The Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) conducted a “Gatekeeper Training” session on Thursday for teachers across 140 educational institutions, including 121 government schools and several private schools in Delhi, to strengthen mental health awareness and suicide prevention efforts.

During the day-long session, two teachers from each school were trained to identify signs of mental health distress such as social withdrawal, persistent sadness, academic decline, substance abuse and previous suicide attempts, among children. (HT Archive)

The training was conducted Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) SAMVEDNA programme, which focuses on suicide prevention, mental health awareness and early identification of emotional and behavioural distress.

During the day-long session, two teachers from each school were trained to identify signs of mental health distress such as social withdrawal, persistent sadness, academic decline, substance abuse and previous suicide attempts, among children. They were also taught how to guide students towards timely support and counselling, said IBHAS officials.

Gatekeeper training sessions are based on the Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) model which helps identify suicide warning signs and connect at-risk people with professional help.

The Delhi education department selected the 140 schools and nominated two teachers from each institution to act as “master trainers”, who will further train other staff members in their respective schools. The sessions were conducted by faculty members from the departments of Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry and Psychiatric Social Work at IHBAS.

“We found that many students were unable to access these services due to the mental health stigma. This training aims to reduce the stigma so that more children can seek support,” he added.

“This gatekeeper programme has trained teachers in basic mental health literacy and helped them identify red flags related to mental health issues, which will improve students’ access to mental healthcare,” Dr Dhamija said.