Kerala   

Online counselling for suicide prevention

Family issues constitute a major share of the problems raised by clients approaching suicide prevention centres, according to a city-based NGO. Problems relating to sexuality and incompatibility between spouses are also showing a growing trend.

According to Nithyanand, project director of Karmayogu, a holistic centre for suicide prevention and family welfare, problems relating to debt are the most common among clients seeking assistance.

An online counselling programme for Internet users based in the U.K., Canada and the Gulf will be launched by Karmayogu, from Monday, World Suicide Prevention Day.

Under the programme, users can log on to www.hti.in and share their problems with professional counsellors and psychologists from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. by entering the chat room of the site. The identity of the clients will be kept secret.

“Live counselling on the net has been started as a cost-effective mechanism to address the emotional needs of our clients from abroad who are distraught with personal, marital and family problems,” said Nithyanand. “Using this option, clients can now receive guidance from our advisers even during work hours,” he said.

“In fact we have decided to launch the programme following repeated requests from our customers who used to spend up to two-hours for each session with the counsellors,” he said.

“The medium will also help customers engage in a freer and open interaction as it does away with the inconvenience of a face-to-face interaction with the counsellors,” he said.

A formal inauguration of the programme will however take place later in the week.

Karmayogu has a team of around 140 volunteers comprising advocates, doctors, psychologists, students and homemakers who offer guidance and support to their clients across the State.

Of this, nearly 50 are based in the city alone.

Some of the other activities of the centre include 24-hour telephone counselling (Ph: 3013100) for those who are mentally distressed or facing acute psychological disorders.

Sangeeth Kurian

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