Suicide Lifeline, a unit of Susheg Charitable Trust in collaboration with the Police Commissionerate, Educational Institutions, NGOs, Social Service Clubs, and socially concerned citizens of Mangalore is organizing a walkathon on Sunday, September 10th to commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day and to spread awareness about this community crisis.
The walkathon will be flagged off at 7:30 AM by the Commissioner of Police from Town Hall and will end at Loyola Hall, St. Aloysius PU College via K.S. Rao Road. Poster and Reel competitions on Suicide Prevention are being held on the theme ‘Creating hope through action.”
A short formal program will be held at Loyola Hall with Assistant Commissioner of Police Mr. S. Mahesh Kumar of Mangalore Central and Lion Dr. Melwyn D’Souza, District Governor as guests of honour. A thousand participants including students are expected to participate in the walkathon.
About Susheg Charitable Trust
Susheg Charitable Trust was formed to enrich the life of all living beings Humans, Animals, and Plants. Susheg means contentment – a satisfied, peaceful life in harmony with one’s environment. Susheg is a Konkani word derived from the Portuguese ‘sossegado, ‘ meaning a contented form of life.
Currently, it is active in three social areas:
- Susheg Kiran counsels under Trial Prisoners.
- Susheg Jivith Neuro-care provides residential care for dementia and other Neurological Illnesses.
- Susheg Lifeline, a 24X7 Suicide Prevention Helpline – 0824 2983444, helps save lives by preventing suicide and promotes mental health and well-being.
Susheg Lifeline trains volunteers to assist those in distress through the suicide lifeline and prevent suicide. It conducts awareness programs on mental health for educational institutions- administrators, faculty, parents, and student leaders and sensitizes the community on mental well-being and suicide prevention through various programs. It also publishes literature on mental health and well-being in English and local languages.
Susheg Lifeline was inaugurated on October 2nd, 2017. It was born of a survey on mental health and well-being of 1016 students between the ages of 14-25 years of Mangaluru was conducted in the Month of March 2017 under the direction of Mr Roshan Monteiro, Sr Marie Evelyn A.C., & Dr Lavina Noronha.
Preliminary analysis of the results indicated that 4.52 percent of students surveyed have a history of past suicide attempts and a significant number (6.79%) of students had suicidal ideation.
According to the WHO, suicide is an emerging and serious public health issue in India. However, it is preventable with timely, evidence-based, and often low-cost interventions. The suicide mortality rate per 100,000 population in 2016 was 16.5, while the global average was 10.5 per 100,000. The most vulnerable are the 15-29-year-olds, the elderly, and persons with special needs.
Providing a lifeline of emotional support to such persons to prevent suicide is therefore the need of the hour. Susheg Charitable Trust in collaboration with the postgraduate department of Psychology, St. Agnes College, and the postgraduate department of social work, St. Aloysius College, mobilized concerned citizens and organizations to set up such a Lifeline in Mangaluru.
Susheg Lifeline now reaches out to people from all over India.
Cover Photo: Freepik
