Who are gatekeepers? Know more about Delhi Malayali's mental health collective
One becomes a professional gatekeeper after receiving training to recognise warning signs and offer help systematically and scientifically.
One becomes a professional gatekeeper after receiving training to recognise warning signs and offer help systematically and scientifically.
One becomes a professional gatekeeper after receiving training to recognise warning signs and offer help systematically and scientifically.
“What problem could be so overwhelming that it ends a life? If there were issues, they could have been shared. If something were troubling them, we would have helped...” These are the familiar refrains we often hear when news breaks of a friend or acquaintance dying by suicide. They speak of missed signs, of unanswered questions, of the pain of someone slipping away without seeking help or offering any explanation. But this self-blame rarely surfaces when the person who dies by suicide is someone closest to us, like a mother, a sibling or a partner.
Across the world, lakhs of suicides could have been prevented if there had been someone simply willing to sit beside them, listen, and offer support. Recognising this, the World Health Organisation has given a name to those crucial hands of care: gatekeepers. A gatekeeper is someone who identifies people in distress, listens to them without judgment, supports them and connects them to mental health professionals when needed. In that sense, anyone, from a school student to an elderly neighbour, can be a gatekeeper. One becomes a professional gatekeeper after receiving training to recognise warning signs and offer help systematically and scientifically.
The importance of professional intervention
Most individuals who attempt suicide reveal their intent in some form, directly or indirectly. The first responsibility of a gatekeeper is to identify these signals. Many mental health institutions and voluntary organisations now offer training in suicide prevention and gatekeeping. Listening Community, a Delhi-based organisation founded by Malayali mental health experts, is one such initiative. The collective conducts monthly gatekeeper training programmes at a very nominal fee.
Those interested in becoming trained gatekeepers can contact 8606966000. “We need people among us trained in gatekeeping. They are our safety net,” says Dr Abdul Gafoor, Founder Director of Listening Community. “When we begin to fall, they will be the ones to notice it early and extend support in the best possible way,” he adds.