Meera, a 16-year-old student in Pune, was cheerful and did well in class until a few weeks ago. Now she is quiet and withdrawn, her marks have fallen and she often misses school. She told a close friend that she has been thinking about ending her life because of her family's heavy debts. The school counsellor now meets her daily and has involved her parents. In the same district, after several such deaths, the administration has stopped the open sale of pesticides in village shops. Local newspapers have agreed to report such deaths with care, and local health workers are being trained to spot people at risk and help them.
The district has already taken some of the measures suggested by WHO for preventing suicide. Which of the following is another WHO measure that the district could add?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Bringing in alcohol-related policies
Option (1) Bringing in tobacco-related policies — Incorrect. Tobacco is a substance-related problem, but tobacco policies are not among the measures WHO suggests for preventing suicide. The WHO measure is about alcohol.
Option (2) Bringing in alcohol-related policies — Correct. Bringing in alcohol-related policies is one of the measures suggested by WHO. Alcohol use disorders are a risk factor for suicide, and the district has not acted on this yet.
Option (3) Limiting access to mobile phones and the internet — Incorrect. WHO speaks of limiting access to the means of suicide, such as the pesticides the district has already removed. Phones and the internet are not means of suicide, so this is not a WHO measure.
Option (4) Training police officers in managing for suicide — Incorrect. WHO suggests training health workers in assessing and managing for suicide, which the district is already doing. The training is meant for health workers.
NCERT (2026-27): “Bipolar and Related Disorders … “• reporting of suicide by media in a responsible way; • bringing in alcohol-related policies;” “• early identification, treatment and care of people at risk;” “• training health workers in assessing and managing for suicide;” “• care for people who attempted suicide and providing community support.” |