Mental Health Awareness Initiatives in India
What was considered a taboo a few years back is breaking its veil of anonymity and coming out in the open. And it feels as if all this secrecy wasn’t really needed after all. All those wasted years, all those troubled people waiting to be treated, all that pain for the near ones – how worthless and what a shame.
Mental health is slowly creeping out and is not really embarrassed when the light shines on it. It’s found a following in not just those who relate to it but also those who are willing to fight for it.
A celebrity like Deepika coming out in the open has helped the unveiling a great deal too. Some of the remarkable initiatives and orgs that have made their mark to promote mental wellbeing, reduce stigma and provide support are listed here.
Roshni:
Roshni is a Hyderabad-based NGO committed to suicide prevention and mental health awareness.
#SpeakYourMind India:
This global campaign has made significant inroads in India, aiming to engage people in conversations about mental health. Their toolkit is designed to empower young people, especially those with lived experience of mental health issues, with the knowledge and skills required to become mental health advocates to raise community awareness and engagement on mental health. This project is led by Sangath with Mariwala Health Initiative and is funded by Comic Relief.
iCall – TISS:
Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ iCall initiative offers counselling services and emotional support. iCALL endeavours to provide professional and free counseling through technology assisted mediums such as, telephone, email and chat to anyone in need of emotional support, irrespective of age, gender, sexual orientation or race, and transcending geographical distances while ensuring confidentiality, says their website.
The White Swan Foundation:
The White Swan Foundation team collaborates with mental health experts, persons with live experiences, like-minded individuals and organizations across the world to deliver best-in-class knowledge on mental health.
YourDOST:
Your DOST is an online platform connecting individuals with mental health prof-essionals. They have a range of services from relationships, sexual wellness, self-improvement, psychological disorders and LGBTQIA
The Live Love Laugh Foundation:
Founded by actress Deepika Padukone, this foundation aims to reduce the stigma associated with mental health. When Deepika gets emotional and talks about her bad days of depression, thousands can relate to it – it just shows the power of celebrities using their influence for a good cause.
Mental illness can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, social status, race, religion, income and geography.
Stigma is one of the main obstacles in treating mental illnesses. Healthcare communication agencies bring deep understanding of core issues and insights in developing meaningful campaigns to fight stigma and spread awareness.