Dhubri: Mental health professionals called for greater awareness, empathy and early intervention to prevent suicide at a programme held at Dhubri Medical College and Hospital on Monday evening ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on Sept 10.Organised by the hospital’s Department of Psychiatry, the programme focused on ending the stigma surrounding mental health and creating spaces where people can speak openly about emotional distress.The event was organised around the theme “Changing the Narrative on Suicide” and sought to encourage students and the wider community to respond to people in distress with understanding and timely support.The programme was attended by Dhubri Medical College vice-principal Mukul Patar; Dhubri Medical College and Hospital superintendent Dr Dina Reza; Professor and head of the department of Psychiatry Dr Shyamanta Das; BN College faculty member Nazia Zaman; and Nursing School, Dhubri, principal Juthika Mazumdar.Addressing the gathering, Reza stressed the need to give mental health the same importance as physical health and urged students to remain sensitive towards people experiencing emotional difficulties.“A person going through emotional distress does not need judgment; they need someone who will listen and support them. We must create an environment where seeking help is seen as a sign of strength, not weakness,” Reza said.Das said suicide prevention required a collective effort and that recognising warning signs early could help save lives.“Changing the narrative means breaking the silence around suicide and mental health. We need to replace stigma and blame with empathy, conversation and timely professional intervention,” he said.Das also discussed what he described as the romanticisation of suicide in literature and Western media, referring to Romantic poet John Keats.During an awareness session for students, Das and fellow department members Dr Anjuman Choudhury, Dr Dipjyoti Deori and Dr Bikram Sutradhar spoke on mental health, suicide prevention and the importance of seeking timely help.Students from BN College and the Nursing School in Dhubri participated in the programme. The organisers said involving young people was important because awareness, peer support and early recognition of distress could play a role in suicide prevention.A writing activity was also organised, with Rythm Mallik of BN College receiving the Best Writing Award.The programme concluded with a call for greater awareness and community participation in suicide prevention. The organisers stressed the importance of listening without judgment, recognising signs of distress and helping people access support.
