Page 13 - Intuition, Imagination and Innovation in Suicidology Conference, 11th Triple i, Virtual Conference
P. 13
munity Interventions 11th Triple i | Virtual Conference | 16th–19th June 2020
Lakshmi Vijayakumar
Dr. Lakshmi Vijayakumar is the Head of SNEHA Suicide prevention Centre in
Chennai. She is particularly interested in the combination of clinical and public
health interventions and suicide prevention possibilities within them. She has
been conferred ‘Honorary Fellowship’ of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (FR-
CPsych), UK for her work on suicide prevention locally, nationally and globally.
She is the first woman psychiatrist from South East Asia to receive this honour.
Dr. Vijayakumar was a guest of the Triple i conference for the first time in 2014
when she spoke about the relevance of formulating locally relevant, culturally
appropriate, costeffective and sustainable interventions.
Abstract. Suicide rates vary widely across countries and within regions in
each country. Developing a ‘one size fits all’ suicide prevention program-
mes are unlikely to bring down the suicide rates. A bottoms up reach is also
needed. It is crucial to develop cost effective and culturally appropriate inter-
ventions involving the community. The major challenges in developing such
interventions are identifying and understanding the sociocultural context of
the community, engaging with different sections of the community without
compromising evidence base or effectiveness of suicide interventions, task
shifting and ensuring sustainability. Examples of community suicide pre-
vention interventions from high, middle and low-income countries and for
vulnerable sections of the community will be discussed.
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7055-67-2.13 13
Lakshmi Vijayakumar
Dr. Lakshmi Vijayakumar is the Head of SNEHA Suicide prevention Centre in
Chennai. She is particularly interested in the combination of clinical and public
health interventions and suicide prevention possibilities within them. She has
been conferred ‘Honorary Fellowship’ of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (FR-
CPsych), UK for her work on suicide prevention locally, nationally and globally.
She is the first woman psychiatrist from South East Asia to receive this honour.
Dr. Vijayakumar was a guest of the Triple i conference for the first time in 2014
when she spoke about the relevance of formulating locally relevant, culturally
appropriate, costeffective and sustainable interventions.
Abstract. Suicide rates vary widely across countries and within regions in
each country. Developing a ‘one size fits all’ suicide prevention program-
mes are unlikely to bring down the suicide rates. A bottoms up reach is also
needed. It is crucial to develop cost effective and culturally appropriate inter-
ventions involving the community. The major challenges in developing such
interventions are identifying and understanding the sociocultural context of
the community, engaging with different sections of the community without
compromising evidence base or effectiveness of suicide interventions, task
shifting and ensuring sustainability. Examples of community suicide pre-
vention interventions from high, middle and low-income countries and for
vulnerable sections of the community will be discussed.
https://doi.org/10.26493/978-961-7055-67-2.13 13
