The owners of an Ontario-based funeral home company have launched a mental health support group for international students after a noticing a startling rise in suicides among those coming from India to study. Owner Kamal Bhardwaj told CTV's Your Morning on Monday that he has noticed the number of student suicides has been steadily increasing over the past couple of years. After helping families to organize the funerals, Bhardwaj said he had to find a way to help. "Some of these parents don't believe their loved one has passed away and even some of them go on a hunger strike until they see their loved one arrived back so it's just breaking my heart and I had to do something," Bhardwaj said. Bhardwaj launched a mental health support group, in partnership with Punjabi Community Health Services in Brampton, Ont., last summer for international students called Sunoh Charity, which means "to listen" in Hindi. He explained that the group works to raise awareness and educate international students about what mental health resources are available to them and how they can get help, in addition to resources on settling and succeeding while studying in Canada. About 4,000 people die by suicide each year in Canada, but it's unclear how many of them are international students or recent graduates. The High Commissioner of India to Canada said in an April webinar organized by Sahyog Canada, a community that supports Indian international students in crises, that eight international students from India have died by suicide since 2020, including two in 2021. Upon hearing this, Bhardwaj said he reached out to others in the community to get a better understanding of what's happening with the international students from India. Bhardwaj found that when these international students come to Canada, they're "very overwhelmed" and isolated. "A lot of them don't have the support system to their families because they've come from small villages, families have sold part of their farm or their assets to bring them here… and they fall into sort of terrible situations and they don't know how to get out of them," Bhardwaj said. According to Statistics Canada, the number of international students in Canada has grown from 410,585 in 2016 to 638,960 in 2019, with roughly 34 per cent of them being from India. Through focus groups, Bhardwaj learned that there is a large amount of stress placed on international students from India to send money back home to their parents to cover the debt, and pressure to maintain a job while studying to pay their bills and be able to continue in school. A recent report from non-profit One Voice Canada, found that international students have been pushed to the brink during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the economic and social impact of the pandemic exacerbating these problems further. Bhardwaj said these newcomers also struggle with the new culture and language when arriving in Canada, and don’t know what their rights are or where to get help when they need it. Bhardwaj said international students are in a "grey area" as they're not Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and struggle to find accessible and affordable supports. This is something Bhardwaj said needs to be addressed by governments to help prevent suicides. "These international students are contributing billions of dollars to the economy, so I would love to see on the federal and provincial level, some dollars to help these people," he said. However, Bhardwaj said it is important for international students to know that there are independent organizations, such as Sunoh Charity, that are able to provide help in times of crises. "We understand the cultures and speak their languages," he said. "We want them to know that we're here 24 hours, seven days a week for them, and we will help them." -- If you or someone you know is in crisis, here are some resources that are available. Canada Suicide Prevention Helpline (1-833-456-4566) Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (1 800 463-2338) Crisis Services Canada (1-833-456-4566 or text 45645) Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868) If you need immediate assistance call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
