The multi-site initiative seeks to develop and test a scalable, evidence-based intervention model for educational institutions aimed at reducing suicidal behaviour by lowering perceived stress and depressive symptoms.
Published Dec 22, 2025 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 22, 2025 | 9:00 AM
Suicide prevention.
Synopsis: The programme aims to evolve a scalable, evidence-based model to curb suicidal behaviour among students by directly addressing key risk factors such as high perceived stress and depressive symptoms, while simultaneously strengthening help-seeking behaviour.
In a significant step towards addressing the growing mental health crisis among students, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has constituted a Suicide Prevention Study Group that brings together experts and institutions from eight states and Union Territories.
Among the southern Indian states, Kerala and Karnataka will be part of this study.
The multi-site initiative seeks to develop and test a scalable, evidence-based intervention model for educational institutions aimed at reducing suicidal behaviour by lowering perceived stress and depressive symptoms, while actively encouraging help-seeking among students.
A major national effort to address the growing mental health crisis among young Indians is underway, with the ICMR spearheading a large-scale, multistate implementation study aimed at reducing suicide risk and improving mental well-being among school and college students.
Titled “Multistate Study on Suicide Risk Reduction and Improving Mental Well-Being Among School and College Students in India”, the research protocol was published in the international journal Frontiers in Public Health on 8 December.
The study, being conducted by investigators who are part of the ICMR Suicide Prevention Study Group, will cover eight states and Union Territories, including Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Delhi.
Data collection is expected to be completed by December 2026, with results anticipated in March 2027.
Each participating state and UT will have oversight by a local academic or medical institution—ranging from NIMHANS in Bengaluru and TISS in Mumbai to Government Medical College, Kollam, and AIIMS centres in Guwahati and Jodhpur.
Districts have been selected based on reported suicide rates and in consultation with state health and education departments, with multiple districts covered in states such as Kerala, Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam.
The interventions will be rolled out across a wide spectrum of educational institutions —government, aided, tribal-aided and private — serving as clusters for the study.
Students from Classes 9 to 12, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate courses (excluding doctoral programmes), will form the core target group, making this one of the most comprehensive, ground-level mental health interventions ever undertaken in India’s education sector.
The participating states and UTs are Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, New Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Rajasthan.
Earlier, South First had reported that Kerala was set to pilot a first-of-its-kind “behavioural vaccine” for children and adolescents, as the state grappled with a worrying rise in student suicides, substance abuse, screen addiction, and campus violence.
The national-level implementation research project, jointly launched by the ICMR and the Kerala government, aims to develop an evidence-based model to reduce suicide risk and improve mental well-being among school and college students.
With India accounting for the highest share of global suicide deaths, the need for rigorous, evidence-based studies on suicide prevention—especially among students and youth—has never been more pressing.
Research shows that India’s contribution to global suicide deaths has steadily risen over the decades, reaching 36.5% among women and girls and 20.9% among men and boys by 2019, with an overall suicide rate of 12.69.
Students alone account for 7.6% of suicide deaths, and since the COVID-19 pandemic, socio-environmental and psychological risk factors among school and college students have surged by 25%, even as protective factors have declined.
The most vulnerable group remains those aged 15–24 years, driven by a complex interplay of biological factors such as age, gender, mental illness, substance use and genetic vulnerability; psychological factors including low self-esteem, hopelessness, impulsivity and emotional dysregulation; and socio-environmental stressors ranging from bullying and caste or identity-based discrimination to exam pressure, family disruption and lack of access to mental healthcare.
National Crime Records Bureau data 2023 underscore the scale of the crisis: 1.71 lakh suicides were reported in India in 2023 alone, with nearly half occurring in five states, and young people aged 18–45 forming the largest share of victims.
Among children, family problems, love affairs and exam failure dominate as causes. Together, these grim statistics underline why a study of this kind is crucial—to unpack the dynamic bio-psycho-social factors behind suicidality, address the compounded risks of psychiatric comorbidity, and build accessible, school- and college-based mental health systems that can move India from crisis response to prevention.
The aim, according to the study protocol published in a peer-reviewed journal, is to have a comprehensive, multi-layered model to strengthen suicide prevention and mental health care for students across educational institutions in selected states of India.
It also aims at addressing a critical public health gap, as suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among those aged 15–29 years.
The intervention combines systematic risk assessment, capacity building, awareness generation and structured referral mechanisms within schools and colleges.
Central to the initiative are tools to assess suicide risk through indicators such as perceived stress and depressive symptoms, alongside strategies for management, student education and sustained engagement on mental health awareness.
The study seeks to establish standardised procedures that enable educational institutions to respond efficiently to mental health crises, suicide risk and postvention needs.
Emphasising awareness and sensitisation as the first step, the protocol underlines the role of school and college administrators in setting up crisis response systems, assigning staff responsibilities, documenting prevention processes and coordinating referral pathways.
The researchers propose mental health orientation sessions for principals and administrators, collaborative mapping of mental health resources within and outside campuses, and consultative meetings to develop context-specific suicide first-response protocols, including the formation of crisis response teams.
A key pillar of the model is gatekeeper training—equipping teachers, hostel wardens, support staff and students to recognise distress, offer initial support and guide at-risk peers to professional help.
Given that many vulnerable students hesitate to seek assistance, trained peers and staff are seen as crucial in overcoming barriers such as fear, stigma and discomfort in discussing suicide.
Drawing on global evidence and WHO suicide prevention strategies, the research team also plans to develop a repository of evidence-based self-help modules tailored for school and college settings.
By integrating mental health promotion, early identification, capacity building and clear referral pathways, the study aims to plug long-standing gaps in prevention mechanisms and embed suicide prevention within the everyday functioning of India’s educational systems.
In short, the investigators stated that the programme aims to evolve a scalable, evidence-based model to curb suicidal behaviour among students by directly addressing key risk factors such as high perceived stress and depressive symptoms, while simultaneously strengthening help-seeking behaviour.
Designed as a dynamic and adaptive initiative, the protocol will undergo repeated cycles of implementation, evaluation, and refinement to optimise its impact on student mental health.
Crucially, the study will also assess the financial implications of embedding this comprehensive mental health and wellbeing intervention within existing education and healthcare systems, offering policymakers a clearer picture of both its social value and economic feasibility.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
