The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Sneha launches additional helpline

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 14, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Sneha launches additional helpline

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: Sneha, a voluntary organisation working in the area of suicide prevention, has introduced an additional helpline — 2464 0060 — to counsel students.

Their existing helpline is 2464 0050.

The service would be offered for a few weeks following the announcement of the Higher Secondary Class Twelve examination results on Monday.

Counsellors may be contacted over telephone or in person between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. at No.11 Park View Road, R.A. Puram. The services will be free and confidential.

According to statistics provided by Sneha, 2,283 students committed suicide in India in 2005 alone. Out of this, 314 cases were reported in Tamil Nadu and 54 in Chennai.

Sneha volunteers say students undergo a lot of emotional stress when the outcome did not match expectations. They experienced a gamut of feelings such as tension, fear, frustration, anger, helplessness, humiliation, guilt, misery and a sense of worthlessness. This could ultimately lead to depression, desperation and suicidal thoughts.

"A person going through emotionally troubled times needs someone to talk to, for sharing their feelings," according to a press release.

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