The Chiittoor district police organised a series of awareness drives on the importance of mental health counselling on the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day on Thursday. Chittoor, Palamaner, Kuppam and Nagari sub-divisions were all covered under the programme.
Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) members conducted sessions for students based on the theme of ‘Calmness to Face Problems Head-on’ at government and private schools and colleges.
Superintendent of Police Y. Rishant Reddy, addressing the students at PVKN Government Degree College here, said that suicidal thoughts should be shunned by people of all groups, and those in distress should not hesistate to seek the help of the police. They can also reach out medical officers, NGOs or other government functionaries working on suicide prevention projects, Mr. Rishant Reddy said.
The SP said that the suicide prevention campaign was jointly conducted by the police department and the Indian Psychiatric Society. He said that the police officials at all the sub-divisional levels had conducted a series of awareness seminars on suicide prevention and organised essay writing competitions in schools and colleges to sensitise the students. "Women should strive to find solutions to their problems without getting depressed and should use the Disha App or come directly to the Disha Mahila Station and report their problems to us," Mr. Rishant Reddy said.
Students at several places took a pledge with the theme ‘Not to Attempt Suicide but try for Solutions’.
Meanwhile, Deputy SP (Madanapalle) A. Ravi Manohar Achari told reporters at Madanapalle in Annamayya district that the police personnel at the mandal-level actively participated in the campaign for the last one month, sensitising thousands of students, besides securing remarkable results in prompting the women from several walks of life to download the Disha App.
