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Dareecha
Zero Suicide Intervention in Ghizer District
90%
Large impact observed in learnings for core concepts of arts and trauma informed approaches
450
Across the Ghizer district received the arts based intervention.
Project Overview
Arts-based applications of theoretical frameworks to generate community dialogue on mental health and suicidal ideation and to build motivation and stakeholder buy in for participation in school-based mental health screening and care.
A Window into Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing
Project Dareecha addresses high youth suicide rates in Gizzar, Gilgit-Baltistan, through arts-based methodologies that foster emotional awareness and relational support. The initiative engaged youth, parents, and educators in activities like meditation, body mapping, and culturally resonant metaphors, creating safe spaces for self-reflection and emotional expression. Participants explored emotions such as anger, sadness, fear, and love, gaining insights into their impacts and coping strategies.
The intervention successfully improved parenting and teaching approaches, increased acceptance of mental health care, and strengthened social connections. Community feedback emphasized the critical role of relationships in adolescent wellbeing and highlighted the acceptability of arts-based approaches. Insights from the project are shaping tailored social-emotional learning curricula for schools, focusing on nurturing self-esteem, addressing distress, and fostering healthy relationships. By combining art and mental health advocacy, Dareecha empowers communities and promotes sustainable mental health practices in a culturally sensitive and impactful way.
The intervention was guided by the Awareness-Agency-Motivation (AAM) framework, and adapted from the Awareness-Motivation-Capability model. It aimed to build awareness of mental health, develop community agency to respond, and sustain motivation for long-term support. The Whole School Approach was also utilized, ensuring integration of the entire school community into the mental health strategy. Key methodologies included:
Experiential Arts-based Activities: Activities like body mapping, thought-emotion circles, and clay metaphor exercises to promote emotional awareness.
Mindfulness Practices: Meditation to build emotional insight and self-compassion.
Yarn Circle Activity: Using symbolic performance art to illustrate the role of relationships in children’s mental health, highlighting the role of community support.
The following data collection methods were used to document and analyze the intervention:
Body Maps: Participants colored areas on a body outline to represent physical sensations of emotions.
Thought/Emotion Maps: Key thoughts associated with emotions were recorded and analyzed.
Coping Skills and Yarn Circle Discussions: Audio clips and participant notes were used to extract themes.
There were quite a lot of results and statistics that materialized over time. For instance, happiness and tension were the most frequently expressed emotions. Positive emotions were less reported than negative ones. Pleasant emotions were most frequently experienced in the chest, while unpleasant emotions were most commonly located in the head and abdomen. Colors such as red, green, orange, and black were linked to different emotions. Green and red were most used for pleasant emotions, while black and green were associated with unpleasant emotions. Participants associated anger with physical sensations (headaches, jaw tension) and behavioral responses (like stomping feet or isolating from loved ones). Coping strategies like drinking water or taking walks were identified, along with negative consequences like sabotaging decisions and damaging relationships.