Deepika Padukone Launches Nationwide Mental Health Program

Deepika Padukone Launches Nationwide Mental Health Program The setting-Kamal Mahal, Maurya Hotel Delhi, an epitome of luxury. The occasion- the launch of the first Mental Health Campaign in India by Deepika Padukone's NGO The Live Love Laugh Foundation. There is an air of subdued excitement as invited guests and members of the press walk in and mingle over a cup of tea. The buzz and hush is very palpable as all eyes keep looking at the door just waiting for the founder of Live Love Laugh foundation, Deepika Padukone to walk in. One might ask- what relation does depression have with this beautiful, ethereal, stunning, talented and famous goddess of the Bollywood industry? She has everything- beauty, money, fame - what more does she want? This is just a fad of the rich and famous most would say. And that's where they are wrong in their perception of depression. It is thought of as being all in the mind, a by-product of our emotions and stress and possibly a weakness and not as something that is a disease like an authentic diabetes or a heart attack. The numbers are staggering and the resources scarce. And hence the need for an initiative like the Live Love Laugh Foundation founded by Deepika . To educate, empower and prevent , to remove the stigma associated with the word depression and to bring mental health to the fore as a disease entity which can strike anyone, anytime and needs to be treated like any other chronic non communicable disease. While explaining how important it is to take the step of talking to the one suffering from depression, Deepika launched a social campaign through her Live Love Laugh foundation, #DOBARAPOOCHO. “In the times we are living today, we have become so competitive, which is a good thing, but we have become extremely insensitive too. Through this campaign, I dedicate this to people who have survived depression, people suffering through it even now and urge the society to become more sensitive.” According to Indian Medical Association President-Elect Dr K K Aggarwal, "The government estimates that 6-7 per cent of the country's population lives with major to minor mental health concerns. But we have only 6,500 trained psychiatrists and even fewer psychologists. What is worse is that the stigma and discrimination faced by these people and their families prevent them from seeking guidance." Rajya Sabha has already passed the Mental Health Care Bill 2013 which once cleared by the Lok Sabha would replace the Mental Health Act, 1987. The first ever National Mental Health Policy was launched on October 10, 2014 which seeks to provide universal psychiatric care to the population, 20 per cent of which is likely to suffer some form of mental illness by 2020. The campaign has been jointly launched by the IMA, the Indian Psychiatric Society and Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone's Bengaluru-based Live Love Laugh Foundation (TLLLF). IMA, IPS & TLLLF will be conducting CME Programs across the country to train General Practitioners on Mental Health. Dr Veena Aggarwal Executive Editor eMedinews and IJCP Group