1. Increase awareness about Psychological & psychiatric issues
In the recent times, the country has been witnessing economic growth and technological
advancements which were unheard of by the earlier generations. Many fields have been
developing at a dizzying pace, be it the BPO or the IT industries in addition to retail,
fashion, modeling fields etc. The country proudly announces more number of women
working in these fields, which is a testimony to the increasing socio-economic and
financial independence of women. Along with these developments, psychological issues
such as anxiety, stress and depression have increased due to the expectations, ambitions
and stress faced during the process of adaptation to the new life styles and new
expectations. One question to ponder upon is, if these issues are being timely addressed
and if not what could be the reality?
In the last one month, TOI has carried many stories on young women committing
suicides and some of them were financially independent as well. As a society, we are
very hesitant to seek professional help for psychological and psychiatric issues unless a
gross dysfunction or a crisis hits the family. Awareness about these issues in our society
is minimal and there is a pressing need to educate the community in regard to these
issues, so that timely intervention can to be given to an individual contemplating suicide.
In some cases, the individual plans on taking his or her life due to their circumstances or
worsening depression or a combination of issues. In some cases, there could be an
impulsive decision which leads a person to take away his or her life. Culturally, we are a
collective society, which partly stems from our model of our family structure, where in
the family members offer their support and counseling in an informal way. As work
opportunities, financial independence is increasing, more and more families are migrating
away from the traditional family structure and are becoming nuclear. A number of
youngsters are moving away from their homes in pursuit of jobs. In these scenarios, the
social support from the families is missing and some individuals may not cope well
during the adaptation to new environment, expectations and life style. Developing coping
skills, practicing relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, life style changes can
significantly reduce stress related issues. However, certain conditions need professional
guidance to improve an individual’s overall functioning in their day to day life.
Issues such as depression, Anxiety, can be missed or trivialized which could worsen a
person’s psychological functioning leading to suicidal thoughts. There are community
help lines and community out reach programs for suicide prevention set up by the
premier institutes in the city. There is an urgent need in continuing to spread awareness
about these issues and to seek help from professionals when the family senses things are
worsening or when there is decline in the functioning of the individual. Education about
suicide prevention should be done not only in the work places but also in schools and
colleges as well. In adolescents, the peer group may be able to provide support and also
can act as an important source of information to the family if the individual is
contemplating suicide. Having counselors in schools, colleges on premises can help to

2. address issues to certain extent. Similarly companies should cover counseling services in
addition to regular medical services.
• General Tips:
• Monitor the individual’s functioning at work, home and with peers
• Don’t hesitate to seek help if the condition is worsening
• Offer support and explore solutions
• Understand if any particular stressors are affecting the individual such as loss of
job, debts, death in the family, recent divorce, marital conflicts, academic
failures, dealing with chronic illness etc.
• Don’t trivialize statements or threats about death made by the person
• Family should be vigilant about the individual if they sense safety issues
• Especially with teenagers, make sure you contact the peers for more information
• Neighbors can help to provide information or in extending support to the families
• Take the person to the nearest emergency room if safety of the person is
questionable.
Dr. Yesheswini Kamaraju, M.D
Consultant Psychiatrist,
Director, The Reach Clinic
Bangalore