NRI Medical Experts: In a bid to curb the alarming rise in student suicides, NRI doctors have initiated an extensive training and awareness initiative in Andhra Pradesh.
The initiative, named Emotional Assessment of Students by Educators (EASE), has kicked off its program with a focus on medical students, with plans to extend support to students in other disciplines.
NRI Medical Experts Support
The gravity of the situation is underscored by the fact that student suicides in India reached a staggering 13K in 2022, averaging about 36 student suicides per day.
Both educators and healthcare professionals often lack adequate training in identifying and intervening in cases of suicide. Research consistently demonstrates that early interventions with students exhibiting suicidal thoughts or behaviours can significantly reduce the duration and severity of these issues.
Project EASE, an endeavour to prevent student suicides, has made impressive strides, training over 1K medical students across seven colleges in less than months. The initiative was conceived under the leadership of Dr. Ravi Kolli, representing the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), following the guidance of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Project EASE focuses on fostering emotional well-being by identifying and assessing the mental health of students early on, with an emphasis on referring them to mental health professionals.
Nelson Vinod Moses, Founder and CEO of Suicide Prevention India Foundation, commends the collaboration with the state government on this evidence-based initiative, hoping it sets a precedent for other states to follow.
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