Karnataka expands structured care for suicide-attempt survivors to 37 hospitals
The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), the Karnataka government and Himalaya Wellness Company have announced the statewide expansion of Project USHAS (Urban Self-Harm Study) to 37 government hospitals in Karnataka.
The announcement was made at NIMHANS in Bengaluru on Thursday, World Suicide Prevention Day 2026. The expanded programme will offer structured psychosocial care to people who survive suicide attempts or incidents of self-harm. It will run for one year across all 31 district hospitals in the state and six government hospitals in Bengaluru, according to a release from NIMHANS.
Project USHAS currently operates in 16 hospitals across 10 districts. NIMHANS said the expansion is intended to create a structured post-attempt care pathway within the state's government hospital network, with trained professionals, family support and follow-up lasting up to 12 months.
The programme addresses a specific gap in care. Survivors of suicide attempts are often treated for their physical injuries in emergency departments and discharged once those wounds heal. They may not receive a psychosocial assessment, counselling, a safety plan or continued support — the elements that mental health professionals consider essential to preventing a repeat attempt.
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, India recorded 1,70,746 deaths by suicide in 2024, with Karnataka among the states reporting high numbers. Public health agencies, including the World Health Organization, describe suicide as preventable and identify timely, sustained follow-up care for people who have attempted suicide as one of the more effective interventions.
Since 2022, Project USHAS has registered 35,436 cases of self-harm and attempted suicide. Of these, 26,385 survivors received counselling, risk assessment and structured follow-up, while 31,002 families received parallel support. Among those who received the intervention, 1.3% were reported to have reattempted suicide and 0.3% died by suicide.
Under the expanded programme, psychiatric social workers and clinical psychologists will provide a hospital-based psychosocial intervention lasting 45 to 75 minutes. Families will be involved in safety planning, and scheduled follow-up calls will continue for 12 months. A dedicated helpline will also support survivors.
The expansion sits within a wider policy framework. The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, effectively decriminalised attempted suicide in India, treating it as a mental health concern rather than a criminal act. The National Suicide Prevention Strategy, released in 2022, set a goal of reducing suicide deaths by 10% by 2030 and called for stronger post-attempt follow-up services.
NIMHANS said the programme will collect hospital-level data and implementation insights. These will be analysed to guide the next phase of the project and to explore whether the model can be replicated in other states.
Mental health professionals note that survivors of self-harm remain at elevated risk in the weeks and months after an attempt, which is why continuity of care — rather than a single emergency room visit — is central to the USHAS design.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available. Tele-MANAS, the national mental health helpline, can be reached on 14416 or 1-800-891-4416, and is available round the clock. Karnataka's health helpline, Arogya Sahayavani, can be reached on 104. In an emergency, call 112.
Reporting on suicide requires care. This article follows widely accepted guidelines that avoid describing methods and focus instead on prevention and the support available.
