MUMBAI: Mpower of the Aditya Birla Education Trust, a champion and pioneer of mental health in India, has launched a campaign this World Mental Health Month - “SunoDekhoKaho”, which encourages people to be aware about their surroundings and speak up if they see someone in need of help.
In line with this campaign, Mpower has partnered with UnErase, a community for promoting and producing spoken word poetry to launch 3 powerful videos depicting the state of mental health in India.
Issued in public interest, the #SunoDekhoKaho campaign draws attention to a serious concern in society presently — lack of awareness about mental health.
In the video-series, each of the three videos has an artist sharing personal stories and experiences surrounding mental health concerns and the stigmas around them. The #SunoDekhoKaho campaign will be presented through the month of October across social media and digital platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The campaign invites everyone to take the pledge to be more aware about their surroundings and assist those who need help.
Mpower founder and chairperson Neerja Birla says, “Every three seconds, someone somewhere in our country has attempted to take their own life. With every hour that passes, one student commits suicide in India. In fact, we have become the country with the highest number of suicides in the world. 25 per cent of our adolescents are dealing with depression, 11 per cent of them are dealing with substance abuse and addiction, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. Children and adolescents are vulnerable as they undergo through the physical and emotional challenges of growing up, and that too in environments that are unequipped to provide support for the mental health issues that they go through. It is important to be aware and look out for the possible signs of mental health concerns, to #SunoDekhoKaho and pledge for a stigma-free society.
The other two UnErase videos will be released on 16 October and 24 October.
Mpower is a movement that endeavours to create awareness in order to stamp out the stigma associated with mental health. Mpower, through its centres of excellence, advocates prevention, fosters education and provides world-class holistic services to individuals dealing with mental health disorders, as well as to their families and caregivers.
Moving towards creating a society where people with mental health concerns and their caregivers receive professional support, care and acceptance to facilitate their recovery, without facing discrimination or shame.
