Overview

Outlive is a suicide prevention program to address urban youth suicides in India. It is aimed at young adults (18-24 of age) who may have experiences of suicide, self-harm, or mental distress and belong to marginalized communities in Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune. 

We believe that suicide prevention programs for young people should be developed with their active participation, especially those who have experienced suicide in their personal lives. Engaging with over 50 young people from diverse backgrounds, Outlive has co-developed three initiatives: 

• A national public engagement campaign to build awareness and initiate conversations on suicide prevention 

• Training of a network of youth peer supporters to provide emotional support to distressed youth through a chat-based mobile app.

• Training of youth advocates to engage with policymakers and participate in policy processes for youth suicide prevention.

For more information, visit the project website www.outlive.in

Rationale

Suicide is the single leading cause of death in young people aged 15-29 in India. Suicide is the result of a unique interaction of different social, economic, cultural, and health-related factors that causes distress to individuals in their specific contexts. In India, suicides are underreported by 30-100%, and for every death by suicide, there are 4-20 attempted suicides. While there is no one cause of youth suicides, there are many ways to prevent it.

Progress till date

Outlive has reached 5000+ youth via 80+ awareness events and workshops in colleges and community spaces in Delhi, Mumbai, and Pune. Trained 80+ peer supporters and peer supervisors to provide emotional support via Outlive Chat, a free and confidential service for anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts.

Partner/s

• Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, Indian Law Society Maharashtra, India

• Quicksand Design Studio, New Delhi, India