GANGTOK: The Sikkim INSPIRES (Integrated Service Provision and Innovation for Revising Economies) team under the Planning and Development Department (P&DD), in partnership with the Health and Family Welfare Department (H&FWD) conducted an Inaugural Programme on Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention at Chintan Bhawan today. It may be mentioned that this programme will span across 3 days ie. 9th, 10th and 12th September 2024.
The aim of the programme is to discuss risks and protective factors affecting the mental health of the youth of Sikkim featuring collaborative consultation and guidance from leaders and officials of the Government, individual experts, organisational-level experts, members of NGOs, civil society, youth and media. The programme’s purpose is to educate and stimulate constructive and intellectual discussions about the mental well-being of the youth in Sikkim.
The programme was attended by Chief Guest Mr Tshering Thendup Bhutia, Minister, Tourism and Civil Aviation Department and Commerce and Industries Department, Mr V B Pathak, Chief Secretary, Mr R Telang, ASC, Home and Education Department, Mr S K Jha, Principal Secretary, H&FWD, senior officials from line departments, members from gram panchayats, urban local bodies, self help groups and students from different colleges of the State.
The Chief Guest in his Speech stated that the Sikkim INSPIRES programme, under the Planning and Development Department, has been in the works for many years but has finally seen its fruition from March 2024. He acknowledged H&FWD for initiating this programme and stated that the mental health of the youth requires the highest priority and immediate attention.
Mr Tshering also spoke about the significant role that the school authorities and educationalists can play in spreading awareness about mental health. He also pointed out the imminent problem of unemployment and substance abuse that the youth of Sikkim are burdened with.
He urged the audience to take the advice and insights offered by the skilled speakers seriously and to engage in open discussions.
Chief Secretary Mr V B Pathak, in his speech, shared the alarming rate of suicide in Sikkim in comparison to the rest of the counterparts in the country. He stated that Sikkim has always been known as a flourishing state in terms of economics and other fields, however, the untreated and unspoken mental health crisis is something that needs to be addressed with urgency. He emphasised that Sikkim requires a customized approach for the youth to effectively address and reverse these troubling trends.
Dr Soumitra Pathare, Director, Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy (CMHP), elaborated on the importance of policy making in regard to mental health. It may be mentioned here that the CMHP has provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in drafting India’s new Mental Health Care Act 2017. Dr Pathare was also a member of the Mental Health Policy Group appointed by the Government of India to draft India’s first National Mental Health Policy in October 2014.
Earlier, Mrs Rohini Pradhan, Additional Secretary cum Program Director, Sikkim INSPIRES, P&DD, spoke about the aims and objectives of the Sikkim INSPIRES programme. She stated that even though Sikkim INSPIRES is primarily an economic scheme, the evidence of decline in birthrates in Sikkim and the increase of suicide, makes Sikkimese youths’ future a bleak one.
It may be mentioned that the Sikkim INSPIRES programme aims at a multi-organisational, pan state and pan economy approach. The Sikkim INSPIRES team will spearhead projects along with 9 State Departments i.e. Commerce and Industries Department, Tourism and Civil Aviation Department, Skill Development Department, Department of Information Technology, Rural Development Department, Forest and Environment Department, Health and Family Welfare Department, Women and Child Development Department and the Planning and Development Department which are anchoring the Sikkim INSPIRES programme.
The Vote of Thanks for the inaugural session was proposed by Dr Sonam Ongmu Lasopa, Nodal Officer, Sikkim INSPIRES, H&FWD.
The second half of the programme featured various discussions conducted by an illustrious list of panelists.
The 1st Expert Panel Discussion revolved around the topic “Drivers impacting youth mental health and suicide prevention.” Expert panelists included Dr Rajesh Sagar, Professor of Psychiatry, AIIMS Delhi, Ms Prerna Chowdhary, Sr Consultant, National Centre for Drug Abuse Prevention, Professor Srividya Iyer, Psychologist and Professor at McGill University, Canada and Dr Satish Rasaily, Senior Psychiatrist, District Hospital Singtam. The discussions revolved around the stigma of drug abuse, the impact of digital media, prevention of suicide and problems such as the minimal number of healthcare workers and professionals in the field of health care in the State.
The 2nd Expert Panel Discussion delved into the topic of “Addressing institutional and policy gaps for addressing youth mental health and suicide prevention.” Expert panelists included Mrs Rohini Pradhan, Additional Secretary cum Program Director, Sikkim INSPIRES, Dr Anusha Lama, Mission Director, National Health Mission, H&FWD, Dr Karma Chaden Bhutia, Additional Director (RKSK, RBSK, Disability) and Dr M B Chettri, Commissioner/ Disability, Women and Child Development Department. Pertinent issues that were discussed included departments functioning as separate units, budgeting, lack of care for caregivers, political commitment to a cause and strengthening rehabilitation services.
The 3rd Expert Panel Discussion encompassed discussions surrounding “good practices and strategies for addressing youth mental health and suicide prevention.” The panel of experts were Mr Deepak Kumar, Director, National Technical Consultant, Adolescent & Child Health, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ms Rinzing Bhutia, State Representative, UNICEF, Dr Rajani Parthasarathy, Deputy Director (Mental Health), Government of Karnataka and Dr Nilesh Deshpande, National Program Specialist, UNPF.
The latter part of the programme featured brainstorming sessions with the audience on topics such as “identifying priority areas for youth mental health and suicide prevention in Sikkim” and “developing stakeholder collaborations and partnerships for interventions on youth mental health suicide prevention in Sikkim.”
- IPR Report
