IIT-Kanpur organises suicide prevention gatekeeper training

The training was conducted on March 13 and 14, and saw participation from 110 selected individuals, including faculty, staff, hall managers, doctors, nurses, security personnel, and students.

By: Education Desk

New Delhi | Updated: March 23, 2024 01:51 PM IST

2 min read

This training by IIT-Kanpur was aimed at equipping its community members with vital skills to support individuals in crisis situations.

This training was aimed at equipping its community members with vital skills to support individuals in crisis situations. (Source: IIT-Kanpur)

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT-Kanpur) has unveiled significant steps to enhance student welfare initiatives to focus on mental health and well-being within the campus community. As one of the initiatives, IIT Kanpur organised ‘Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training’ in collaboration with professionals from the Suicide Prevention India Foundation (SPIF).

The training was conducted on March 13 and 14, and saw participation from 110 selected individuals, including faculty, staff, hall managers, doctors, nurses, security personnel, and students. This training was aimed at equipping its community members with vital skills to support individuals in crisis situations.

Through this training, the experts highlighted the importance of identifying warning signs, intervening effectively, and connecting individuals with necessary resources. The training sessions, featuring interactive workshops and practical exercises, providing participants with valuable insights into suicide prevention strategies and the significance of offering empathetic support.

“IIT-Kanpur is committed to promote a supportive, inclusive, and academically empowering environment that prioritizes the mental and emotional well-being of every individual in the institute community. By emphasizing mental health initiatives such as the Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper Training, IIT Kanpur is nurturing a compassionate community where every individual feels valued and empowered to seek help when needed,” an official statement from IIT-Kanpur stated.

A similar training was conducted by the Kota administration in February where the administration hosted free training for the director, manager, warden, guard and mess staff working in every hostel in the city. Recently, several IITs and other officials have been conducting mental wellbeing sessions with students to ensure that students (who appear for JEE, NEET, other competitive and board exams) are able to share their problems and be stress free.

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