Green Social Work And Suicide Prevention Among Agricultural Households: A Study On Community Storage Facilities For Pesticide Safety In Rural Gujarat, India

Abstract

This paper explores the role of Green Social Work (GSW) in suicide prevention through environmental and community-based interventions. A mixed-method study, conducted in Mahesana District, Gujarat, India; as part of the SPIRIT initiative, focuses on the installation of Centralized Storage Facilities (CSFs) to restrict access to pesticides. The participants- CSF-trained managers-were interviewed and observed to identify ecological, social, and institutional facilitators and barriers to implementing CSF for the safe storage of pesticides in agricultural households.

Findings reveal a nuanced relationship between environmental health, social work, and community mental health. Framed through a Green Social Work approach, the paper argues that integrating local ecological knowledge and social capital into suicide prevention strategies can offer sustainable, community-driven alternatives in rural India.