About
10K2Zero
The vision
To become a thought leader on suicide prevention in children and harness collective action to develop interventions and tools, generate research and knowledge to influence policy change and carry out advocacy to bring suicide to zero in India.
Our long term ambition
10K2Zero aims to evolve from a focused campaign into an ecosystem facilitator and field builder for child and adolescent suicide prevention. The initiative seeks to foster collaboration, generate knowledge, support interventions and bring together organisations and individuals working towards a shared goal. Over the longer term, the ambition is to explore the development of an independent organisation jointly run by CMHLP and Quicksand.
Why was 10K2ZERO created?
More than 10,000 children and adolescents under the age of 18 die by suicide in India each year according to NCRB data. Yet child and adolescent suicide remains insufficiently understood and receives limited structured attention relative to the scale and complexity of the problem. The issue cannot be addressed through a single intervention or by focusing only on individuals experiencing distress. It requires us to understand the wider environments and systems affecting young people and build prevention approaches across those systems.
Our mission
To reduce suicides among under-18s in India from 10,000 to ZERO.
We aim to contribute to this through:
- Research and evidence generation
- Policy advocacy
- Ecosystem building
- Development of prevention interventions
- Gatekeeper training
- Youth-focused resources
- Parenting interventions
- Work addressing emerging challenges such as cyberbullying and social media
- Collective action across sectors
Why a collective
response is needed
Child and adolescent suicide is influenced by multiple and interconnected factors. No single organisation has the resources, expertise or reach to address the issue at the scale required.
10K2ZERO seeks to
bring together ↓
Governments,
Civil society,
Researchers,
Funders,
Schools,
Colleges &
Universities,
Teachers,
Parents,
Young people,
Mental health
professionals,
Technology &
media
stakeholders.
The organisations
behind 10K2Zero
Founding organisations
Centre for Mental Health Law & Policy
The Centre for Mental Health Law & Policy (CMHLP) is based at the Indian Law Society in Pune and works across mental health law, policy, systems and suicide prevention.
Quicksand
Quicksand is a design and innovation consultancy that works on research-led social and behavioural change, and co-leads 10K2Zero alongside CMHLP.
Partners
Agatsu Foundation
A community mental health ecosystem offering accessible support, learning, peer connection and therapy.
Visit website
Ending child suicides takes all of us.
Whether you are a researcher, funder, organisation, educator, policymaker, mental health professional or individual, there are ways to contribute.