Trigger Warning: This episode includes stories and descriptions of suicide, some contents may be upsetting or trigger an adverse reaction. Listener discretion is advised.

The effects of COVID-19 are much beyond just medical concerns, and will long outlast the infection itself. Adapting to lockdowns, remote studies, unemployment, unstable housing, and the potential of family sickness and loss comprise a range of stresses, in addition to non-pandemic-specific suicide risk factors. These in turn may increase vulnerability to depression, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders and therefore suicide risk, especially among vulnerable adolescents and young people.

In this episode, we talk to Dr Soumitra Pathare, Director, Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, who tells us that COVID-19 presents a crucial period to focus on political will, financial investments, and the global community vital imperative of suicide prevention. We also hear from Raashi Thakran, a mental health advocate who led a petition asking the Government of India to launch a National Helpline Number for Suicide Prevention and E Tharun Sai, a 21-year-old suicide survivor building a mental health startup, findhope.in

If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, there is help! You can visit Sangath’s COVID-19 Well-being Center on www.sangath.in or call 011-41198666 for support.

Episode Contributors: Dr Soumitra Pathare, Raashi Thakran, E Tharun Sai
Host: Pattie Gonsalves

Produced in New Delhi by Faith Gonsalves.
Audio and music produced by Ishaan Gandhi.
Contributor management by Sweta Pal.
Artwork by Natasha Yadav.
A project of Sangath, supported by the Wellcome Trust.