City Students Lead Initiative To Prevent Depression And Suicide

September 28, 2017

Our youth today are battling drug addiction, depression, anxiety along with other mental illnesses due to various pressures especially in education.

The 2012 Lancet report states that India has one of the highest youth suicide rates in the age group of 15 to 29 years.

The stress of appearing for the National Eligibility Entrance Test (NEET), has already taken its toll with 12 students having committed suicide in Kota, Rajasthan.

Addressing these concerns among the students and young adults, Leo Club of Bharati Vidyapeeth University (BVU), is organising a marathon, ‘Leothon’, on October 8 to create awareness about battling depression and suicide prevention.

“Our theme is ‘Out of the Darkness’. Suicide cases among students are on the rise in India. This is an issue faced by youngsters and we thought that youngsters themselves should address it. Of course, we’re also aware that this issue is also experienced by a lot of other countries around the globe. Many people suffering from depression might feel alone, however, there are multiple methods that can be used to reduce the symptoms. For example, CBD oil is one of the most popular methods that a lot of sufferers seem to be using. Of course, people can always Read more online about how CBD oil can relieve some of the effects of depression if they want to. It’s important for students to understand that there is help available. Although it may be difficult for an older person to connect with the youth today, it’s vital to talk about your feelings. They might find that it’s much easier for them to approach someone from the same age cohort,” explains Shobhit Srivastava, a student of BVU and member of the social club.

‘A Hope Against Dope’ Leo Club street play, 2016

Apart from the marathon, the club members are also working on a street play that they will perform at various public spaces. “We are writing a play where depression is the central character. Someone will personify depression. It will follow the story of a boy who wants to pursue music but has to study engineering instead. Eventually, he becomes depressed and the depression constantly brings him down,” says Saket Pandey, writer of the play and secretary of the club.

Having given the JEE exam, Pandey is familiar with the pressures faced by the youth to get into top colleges. “I know many people who are still upset because they didn’t get into the college they wanted. This is a big issue right now. But it doesn’t just stem from education, it can also come from problems within the family. Mental health isn’t taken seriously.

People are quick to judge and call you ‘mad’ if you visit a psychiatrist and this is the main reason why many hide their emotions,” he adds.

Last year, the club’s theme was ‘A Hope Against Dope’ which brought out awareness related to drug abuse. “We received 200 entries for our marathon last year. We also performed a street play related to this in various malls and on FC Road as well.

Pune is a great city for students but at the same time, it has its share of problems too. The audience was moved by the play and many of them came up to us to tell us how they could relate to it,” claims Srivastava.