Practo As suicide rates continue to rise year after year, it is crucial to prioritise strategies for effective assessment, intervention, and prevention at grassroot levels.
Almost 700,000 lives are lost to suicide every year, and for every precious life that is lost, there are most likely 20 other attempts that were unreported and unsuccessful. This number, although shocking, underlies a very critical matter that deserves a spot in mainstream conversations.
Suicide, as described by Dr Anjali Nagpal Psychiatrist, Max Healthcare, and CMD & Founder, Serenity Clinics, speaker at our recent Practo Connect Webinar on Assessing Suicide Risks in Clinical Practice, is a serious public health issue. India alone reported a total of 1,64, 033 suicides in 2021, which is 7.2% higher than 2020. Even amongst this, student suicide rates stand at 8% with almost 35 suicides reported daily.
While the above numbers might be the outcome of various causes like family, societal or professional pressures, the fact remains that we are in dire need of an effective and comprehensive suicide prevention and assessment strategy that is comprehensible and put into practice by all, including healthcare professionals. By assessing suicidal tendencies during the clinical sessions practitioners not only serve as a crucial first line of defense in preventing suicide but also guide the patients towards the appropriate resources and support.
In our recent addition of Practo Connect webinar on Assessing Suicide Risks in Clinical Practice, Dr Anjali Nagpal shares a comprehensive overview of the following topics, creating a blueprint for doctors to follow while tending to patients who could have a history of mental health issues or could foster suicidal thoughts.
| Key Points Discussed: Identifying the warning signs Assessing risk factors The Vulnerable cohort who are more prone towards the act The basic do’s and don’ts of dealing with the most violent clients Handling clients who are prone to self-harming The essential assessment tools Nurturing the healer Building a network of supportive communities Ways of crisis intervention The importance of professional treatment and therapy |
To watch the full video, please click on the link below.
