ENGAGE is a program that addresses adolescent suicides by training school teachers to identify, assess, support, and refer at-risk adolescents through an online gatekeeper training course.

Why ENGAGE?

One in four deaths by suicide occurs in India. A nationally representative mortality survey carried out in India determined that suicide is the leading cause of death among older adolescents aged 15-19 years. Official estimates also suggest that nearly 30 children die by suicide every day.

While suicide is a major public health issue that needs immediate attention, public healthcare infrastructure is inadequately equipped to address this concern. With poor access to psychosocial services, limited resources, and no comprehensive or contextualised children-friendly programs or services, there is a need for a low-cost and resource-effective suicide prevention program.

Gatekeeper training is an evidence-based suicide prevention strategy for early identification, assessment, management and follow-up for those at-risk of suicide as recommended by the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) LiveLife Implementation Guide for Suicide Prevention. The National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2023), and other state-specific strategies (Government of Chhattisgarh, Sikkim etc.) also highlight gatekeeper training for community members as an effective suicide prevention intervention.

Community members can play an important role as gatekeepers to create awareness, reduce stigma and fill the gap in suicide prevention services for all persons including adolescents. The World Health Organization recognises teachers as important community members to provide suicide prevention support and help save the lives of adolescents as they regularly interact with them at school, act as role models, and guides, and can provide them with support during crisis.

How are we addressing the issue?

ENGAGE was conceptualised to develop, implement, and evaluate an online gatekeeper course for secondary and higher secondary public-school teachers. ENGAGE was implemented in three rural districts of Chhattisgarh between 2021 to 2025, in collaboration with the Directorate of Health Services (DHS), the Department of School Education (DSE), State Council of Educational Research & Training (SCERT), the Government of Chhattisgarh and Quicksand Design Studio, and was funded by Grand Challenges Canada.

The ENGAGE e-learning course comprises of eight interactive modules developed using a human-centred design approach. The modules were developed in close consultation with teachers, youth with lived experience, mental health professionals, and civil society organisations. The ENGAGE e-learning course equips teachers with the skills to identify, support, and refer adolescents who have thoughts or plans of suicide. The e-learning course was delivered to school teachers in Hindi through the government-run teacher training platform, DIKSHA.

What is the potential impact?

ENGAGE is the first such adolescent suicide prevention program in Chhattisgarh and India. It has the potential for high impact at a very low-cost and can be replicated across different contexts in India and low- and middle-income countries.

Where have we have reached?

72% teachers (3775 out of 5219 teachers) completed the e-course across the three intervention districts. 22% teachers (1125 out of 5219 teachers) completed the e-course and the pre-post assessments.

The team has currently concluded implementation in Chhattisgarh and are working on analysis of data and developing research manuscripts. Simultaneously, the team is exploring pathways to scale Project ENGAGE across India.