An informal, safe and supportive outreach approach to bridge the Mental Health Gap in India
With support from the IndiaBioscience Outreach Grant, we created platforms for scientists, clinicians, patients, caregivers, and general public to connect and share insights. Through awareness events, expert interviews, an art competition, and an e-book, conversations sparked on mental health, tackling stigma, and making research more accessible. We committed to six events to be held during the funding period, geared towards facilitating interactions between researchers, clinicians, patients and caregivers around a different central theme. Explore each theme through pictures, videos, and resources below!
Bipolar Disorder
At Bangalore, our Bipolar Disorder themed event was organised to coincide with World Bipolar Day (March 30). The objective here was not only to raise awareness of this disorder but also to promote an empathetic attitude towards those who live with the disorder. We attempted to achieve this by offering participants an understanding of the life of someone with a severe mental health disorder diagnosis. Read more about it in our blog
Dementia
We organised a virtual screening of the documentary ‘Keys Bags Names Words’ which portrayed personal stories of families coping with dementia, inspiring hope and understanding of the condition. This was followed by a panel discussion, with members including filmmakers, and specialists from NIMHANS, emphasising insights into dementia's impact and India-specific statistics, along with support resources.
Neurodivergence
Not all neurodivergent individuals are patients needing regular medical care. Discussion at this event, structured as a panel discussion, especially in the context of higher education: challenges faced by neurodiverse students and what accommodations institutes could provide. We partnered with Dr. Satendra Singh (UCMS Delhi) to organise this event, who has worked extensively in this field in the context of medical education. Dyslexia and Autism, under Indian Law, are classified under intellectual disabilities, which are not aligned with the underlying biology or clinical presentation. Panellists shared that resolutions can take any number of forms, including but not limited to sensitizing faculty to challenges that may be faced by neurodivergent students. Watch the discussion here
Workplace and Mental Health
The event, organized at Bhopal, focused on identifying common workplace stressors and exploring strategies for managing them at both individual and organizational levels. The panel emphasized the importance of early identification of stressors and building stronger communication channels within workplaces. The need for employers to promote a positive work culture where employees feel safe seeking help without fear of stigma was also stressed upon. The discussion concluded with an elaboration on simple and effective self-care strategies that could be employed at an individual level to combat workplace stress.
Exploring the narrative of mental illness
This event was held at the India Science Festival at IISER Pune and live-streamed on Zoom. We invited participants to join us to discuss common beliefs about mental illness with neuroscientists, psychiatrists and people with lived experiences. Our conversations explored the concept of mental illnesses on a continuum of human behaviour, as we discussed what it would take to shift the conversations from “them and their diseases” to “us and who we are”. After some stimulating conversations with our speakers, we invited participants to use their imagination and creative skills to craft a message and help battle the misinformation surrounding mental illnesses.
Recovery in Mental Illnesses
This event explored the broad question of recovery in mental illnesses: what it looks like, how do we define it. Panelists included healthcare professionals and members of the Mental Health Foundation. Among the highlights of the panel discussion were the role of environmental factors and how they can affect the various aspects - from cause to onset to treatment of mental illnesses. An individual’s family is at the core of this, as expected. And this is also why family therapy is an important piece of recovery. One of the panellists, Mrs Saraswathi Suresh, a Caregiver, Mental Health Advocate and Founder of FAVMI (Families Voice for Mental Illness), shared how difficult it was for their family after her son’s diagnosis, due to lack of information and internalised stigma. They were socially isolated by relatives. However, family therapy introduced them to the concept of gratitude and creating a safe, accepting environment for their son, by keeping guilt and helplessness aside. Evidence-based information on the role of peer support in recovery, including in combating stigma.
MIND: The Gap
This e-book blends research, personal stories, and insights from our events to explore mental health holistically. It covers patient-derived stem cell research, neurodivergence, workplace well-being, and media myths, highlighting the impact of social factors. By bridging science, policy, and lived experiences, it advocates for a more inclusive and informed approach to mental healthcare.
Mental Health Interview Series
This explainer video series focuses on breaking stigmas surrounding psychiatric illnesses and spreading knowledge.
