More young people call suicide helpline

MUMBAI: Relationship problems, followed by academic concerns, are the leading reasons why Mumbaiites reach out for psychological guidance, said counsellors working

MUMBAI: Relationship problems, followed by academic concerns, are the leading reasons why Mumbaiites reach out for psychological guidance, said counsellors working at suicide prevention helplines and counselling centres ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10.

HT Image

Manohar Rangnekar, director of Samaritans Mumbai, one of the city’s oldest volunteer-run suicide prevention helplines, said that 40 per cent of all phone calls received are related to heartbreak, failing marriages or failing to live up to parental expectations.

“Most callers have relationship issues with their spouses, partners or parents. For instance, a young caller spoke to our volunteer for hours because a close male friend had suddenly stopped talking to her. Sometimes, the issue may seem trivial, but may affect the person a lot,” said Rangnekar.

He added that five years ago, the average age group of the callers was 45 to 80 years. This has now shifted to 18-45 years.

“A lot of callers in the age group of 18 to 20 have a fragile self-image. They are not prepared to accept failure. They say that they are under high pressure to perform,” said Mrunalini Oka, a volunteer with Samaritans Mumbai for the last four years.

Oka said that of the 2,750 calls they received last year, around 15% of the callers said they either contemplated or attempted suicide. “Not everyone who calls is suicidal. But if they don’t receive adequate attention, they may eventually start displaying suicidal tendencies,” said Oka.

Hitguj, a mental health service helpline started by the civic-run KEM Hospital, Parel, in 2013, receives 300 to 500 phone calls a week.

Dr Shubhangi Parker, head of the psychiatry department, which runs the service, said that increased awareness about such helplines has led to more people reaching out for help, which was not the case before.