NGOs and agencies raise awareness about mental health on World Suicide Prevention Day

Ad agencies and NGOs came together for World Suicide Prevention Day, 2018, to spread important messages and raise awareness about mental health in India. The theme this year was ‘Working together to prevent suicide’.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young adults globally.

On an average, over one lakh people committed suicide every year in India between 2004 and 2014, shows 2015 National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. And, according to a 2012 Lancet report, India has one of the world's highest suicide rates for people aged 15 to 29.

World Suicide Prevention Day is observed every year on September 10.

Mpower:

Mpower of the Aditya Birla Education Trust launched a digital campaign “SayItRight”, encouraging every person to listen and save lives. The digital agency involved in the creation of the campaign is 8Bit Media. The video is divided into two parts. In the first part, a girl is shouted at by her teacher, ridiculed by her friends and discouraged by her parents, which exasperates the mental problems that she is already dealing with. The second half of the video, however, shows how a kind word and some much encouragement can go a long way in helping people battling with depression. The video highlights the fact that people are capable of both hurting and healing others and one should choose wisely what they want to do.

Manas Foundation:

Milestone Dentsu and Manas Foundation launched #StopWhenYouSpot campaign, to shed light on warning signs and to spot suicidal behaviour before it is too late. The campaign comprises two short films, each highlighting certain manifestations of mental health concerns, and urges viewers to spot the signs early to help prevent suicidal ideations from being carried out. The ‘slice of life’ films thoughtfully portray how the warning signs of depression and suicide lie hidden in plain sight amid everyday situations.

Suicide Prevention India Foundation:

WATConsult, along with an NGO called Suicide Prevention India Foundation, came up with a campaign titled ‘#GiveSubtitlesToSuicide’. The campaign focuses on the importance of identifying suicidal signs among the near and dear ones. The agency also created a website, http://givesubtitlestosuicide.in/suicide/ to promote the ‘QPR Gatekeeper Training Program’ by Suicide Prevention Foundation India that trains a person to identify people at the risk of suicide by recognising early signs, providing necessary intervention and access to mental health services. 

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