Chandigarh: Haryana has sharpened its suicide-prevention response with a focus on early identification of emotional distress, counselling, timely professional intervention and round-the-clock mental-health support, as the state observed World Suicide Prevention Day on Thursday, Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Sumita Misra, said.
Dr. Misra said suicide prevention cannot be confined to the treatment of mental illness and requires a wider public-health approach in which families, educational institutions, workplaces, healthcare providers and communities recognise distress early and help people access appropriate support.
Haryana’s District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) now operates in every district, offering assessment, counselling, treatment, and referrals to specialist services as needed.
For immediate support, Tele-MANAS (14416 and 1-800-891-4416) is available 24/7. Trained counsellors and mental health professionals assist with stress, anxiety, depression, substance use, family and personal challenges, and suicidal thoughts, and connect callers to additional care when necessary.
The Health Department advises that anyone expressing thoughts of suicide or self-harm should be taken seriously, not left alone during a crisis, and connected to professional help as soon as possible.
