Chandigarh: Haryana has strengthened its suicide-prevention response with a focus on early identification of emotional distress, counselling, timely professional intervention and round-the-clock mental health support, a top government official said on Wednesday.
Additional Chief Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Sumita Misra said suicide prevention cannot be confined to the treatment of mental illness and requires a wider public-health approach in which families, educational institutions, workplaces, healthcare providers and communities recognise distress early and help people access appropriate support.
“Timely support can make a critical difference. Families, educational institutions, workplaces, healthcare providers and communities all have a role in recognising emotional distress and helping a person reach appropriate professional support,” she said.
Referring to World Suicide Prevention Day observed on September 10, she said that this year’s theme– ‘Changing the Narrative on Suicide’– seeks to replace silence, stigma and misconceptions with openness, compassion, understanding and timely help-seeking.
Misra said Haryana’s District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) now operates in every district, offering assessment, counselling, treatment, and referrals to specialist services as needed.
For immediate support, Tele-MANAS (14416 and 1-800-891-4416) is available round-the-clock, she said.
Trained counsellors and mental health professionals assist with stress, anxiety, depression, substance use, family and personal challenges, and suicidal thoughts, and connect callers to additional care when necessary.
Misra also said that Tele-MANAS has received a cumulative 19,773 calls since its inception on October 10, 2022.
Most callers, 82 per cent, fall between 18 and 45, underscoring how squarely this crisis sits among the young and the working-age population, she said.
Sadness and depression-related concerns account for over a third of all calls, followed by stress linked to exams, work and relationships, she added.
Anxiety, substance use and sleep disturbances round out the leading complaints, together making up more than 80 per cent of contacts. Since January 2026 till date, 9,106 calls have been received, she said.
A key focus of Haryana’s prevention efforts is supporting students and young adults. The department has identified factors such as exam and competitive pressure, career uncertainty, parental expectations, relationship breakups, cyberbullying, social media pressure, loneliness, and substance use as serious risks to young people’s emotional wellbeing.
Its message to students is unequivocal: “One examination, one result or one relationship does not define an entire life”. Misra stated that suicide is rarely caused by a single factor.
Prolonged stress, financial and family issues, relationship difficulties, academic and employment pressures, social isolation, substance use, chronic illness, depression, and other mental health conditions often overlap, she said.
The department urges families, teachers, and friends to recognise early warning signs, such as persistent sadness or hopelessness, withdrawal, significant changes in sleep or appetite, loss of concentration or interest in studies or work, feelings of worthlessness or being a burden, and references to death or suicide. Such behaviour must not be dismissed as “attention-seeking” or weakness, Misra said.
“Suicide prevention is not limited to identifying mental illness. It is about supporting people through difficult circumstances, listening to them, ensuring timely access to care and creating a society where people can speak about their difficulties without fear, shame or stigma,” she said.
The Health Department advises that anyone expressing thoughts of suicide or self-harm should be taken seriously, not left alone during a crisis, and connected to professional help as soon as possible, she added.
