Targeted Peer Support for Suicide Prevention Among Medical Students in India: A Call for Action

See article by Matta et al

To the Editor: We read the article, “Serious Suicide Attempts: Assessment and Management,” published in the PCC with great interest.¹ It rightly emphasized the role of early identification in the care of individuals at high risk for suicide.¹ While much of the existing literature focuses on crisis intervention, our experience suggests that opportunities for prevention are missed much earlier. Statistics show that more than 720,000 people die by suicide annually.² Thus, it cannot be denied that suicide is a major public health concern. India witnessed 170,924 suicides in 2022, which is a 4.2% increase from the previous year.³ These numbers become even more alarming for the student population worldwide. Global studies have shown that medical students experience suicidal ideation at rates higher than the general population.⁴ In India, studies have shown that 28%–40% of medical students have depressive symptoms.⁵ Further, many meta-analyses have reported a high prevalence of depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal ideation among medical students.^4,6

The demanding nature of medical training, academic pressure, financial stress, exposure to human suffering, and professional perfectionism are known to contribute to this vulnerability among medical students.^7,8 The Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, in a landmark judgment on March 24, 2025, issued significant directions for the prevention of student suicide and established a 15-member National Task Force to address these mental health concerns among students. ⁹ Student mental health was the primary focus of the judgment. Subsequently, national efforts have intensified, targeting suicide prevention and the well-being of students in higher education institutions. In this purview, World Suicide Prevention Day was observed on September 10, 2025, in higher medical institutions, and the theme was “Changing the Narrative on Suicide.” At All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda, Punjab, an Indian institute of national importance, we conducted a 2-hour peer-supported panel discussion. It was specifically designed to address suicide prevention through direct targeted peer support engagement. This peer-to-peer approach allowed students to actively participate in addressing critical mental health challenges that they face in their day-to-day lives. Around 300 medical students actively participated in this innovative venture. Students were guided to ask questions regarding self-experienced or witnessed mental health issues among their peers. They were then addressed by a panel of experts from administration and mental health, including psychiatrists and psychologists, as well as medical student representatives. Much of the discussion centered on everyday experiences rather than formal mental health issues. Students talked about feeling judged based on money and background and about guilt related to family finances. Experiences of bullying linked to gender identity, sexuality, and neurodivergence were also raised. The focus remained on listening and peer support, rather than advice or solutions.

One cannot deny that current awareness initiatives remain insufficient, especially in educational institutions where psychological pressures are intense. Lack of open dialogue is known to further perpetuate stigma, which prevents early help-seeking among students. The need of the hour is for the educational institutions to use peer support as a strategy for suicide prevention among students and to implement actionable measures.¹⁰ Moving forward, suicide prevention in medical institutions should adopt systemic, evidence-based approaches, including structured peer support networks integrated with mental health services. Also, training faculty to identify suicide risk and establishing clear referral pathways are essential.¹¹ As highlighted in a recent publication in the PCC,¹ suicide prevention requires interventions across the continuum of care, and peer support may serve as an important preventive layer before clinical crises emerge.

Article Information

Published Online: May 14, 2026. https://doi.org/10.4088/PCC.25lr04117
© 2026 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.
Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2026;28(3):25lr04117
To Cite: Singh GP, Pathak A, Sinha S, et al. Targeted peer support for suicide prevention among medical students in India: a call for action. Prim Care Companion CNS Disord 2026;28(3):25lr04117.
Author Affiliations: Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bathinda, India (Singh, Aggarwal); Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bathinda, India (Pathak); Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bathinda, India (Sinha); Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bathinda, India (Verma).
Corresponding Author: Gurvinder Pal Singh, MD, Department of Psychiatry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bathinda 15101, India ([email protected]).
Financial Disclosure: None.
Funding/Support: None.
Previous Presentation: Related work was presented in a panel discussion at the Bathinda Organization; September 9, 2025; Bathinda, India.