Media Release
Mangaluru, Feb 2: St Agnes College (Autonomous), Mangaluru, organised an educative session on the topic “Suicide Prevention: Students as Gatekeepers” for second year BA and BSc students on January 30.
The session aimed to promote mental health awareness and empower students to identify and respond to suicidal tendencies among peers.
The resource persons Dr Lavina Noronha, director- Ave Maria Palliative Care centre and Shalini Jenifer D’Souza – student counsellor, Father Muller Medical College of Allied Health Sciences led the session,
The resource persons emphasised on the fact that suicide as a serious public health concern affecting the 18–45 age groups.
They shared key warning signs under four categories — mood changes, behavioural changes, verbal indicators, and physical signs and stressed early identification in prevention of suicides.
The session aligned with the IASP Theme 2024–2026, “Changing the Narratives on Suicide,” encouraging open conversations and help-seeking behaviour.
Students took an oath to help in need, with the message “You too can save a life”.