Agencies
New Delhi, Oct 14: The Discipline of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi organized a two-day programme on the occasion of World Mental Health Day on 10th October 2013.
On 9th October, drawing/ painting and poetry competition were held, and movie "Taare Zameen Par" which focuses on the learning difficulties of children was screened.
On 10th October, there was screening of documentary "The subtext of Anger" by Vandana Kohli followed by a panel discussion on "Mental Health in India: The Path Ahead".
The panelists were eminent experts from the field.
Prof. Manju Mehta, Clinical Psychologist from AIIMS, Dr. Jitendra Nagpal, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, Moolchand Medicity, Dr. Achal Bhagat, Senior consultant psychiatrist & psychotherapist, Apollo hospitals, New Delhi and Vandana Kohli, the famous film maker and writer participated.
The programme was addressed by Prof. D.Gopal, Director, School of Social Sciences, IGNOU and the discussion was moderated by Dr. Swati Patra, Reader in Psychology, IGNOU.
Mental health conditions can have significant impact on the individuals, their families and the society. The state of mental health services in India has not been very satisfactory, with shortage of mental health manpower, resources and facilities related to mental health care.
Despite the statistics pointing at increasing number of people affected by mental disorder and mental illness, very few seek treatment because of lack of awareness, social stigma, and unavailability of adequate mental health resources.
Mental health is the crucial need of the hour. The society today is progressing in leaps and bounds; however, at the same time, it is becoming more and more complex with new issues and emerging concerns. These issues, if not addressed in an effective manner, can have far reaching implication for the health of the society as a whole.
The path ahead should focus on sustainable mental health care. In order for a nation to bounce back from adversities, and progress, its mental health services must be strengthened. Thus, there is a crucial need to create awareness about mental health, nurture it and promote it. |
