With the growing need to change the perception of mental illness among people and advocate best practices to cope with stress, Government Hospital for Mental Care and Visakha Psychiatric Society have joined hands to promote mental health with a series of events spread over a week, starting Sunday.
With ‘dignity in mental health’ as current year’s theme recommended by World Federation for Mental Health, the organisers have decided to conduct various programmes to help the patients come out of their cocoon and improve their standard of living.
Some of the programmes include a quiz programme for the first year MBBS students of Andhra Medical College, stress management symposium organised by Symbiosys Technologies, continuing medical education for women and mental health and a presentation on Mental Health Act.
To conclude the celebrations, an awareness walk from Kali Mata temple to YMCA on the Beach Road will be held on October 10 at 6 a.m.
“The focus of the week-long event is to eliminate the social stigma attached to mental illness, advocate inclusiveness, bring awareness to various groups and encourage them to play a role in creating a better world for mentally-ill patients. The campaign aims at bringing all the stakeholders on board and motivate them to provide proper treatment to the affected ones,” said S. Radha Rani, Superintendent of Government Hospital for Mental Care.
General Secretary of Indian Psychiatric Society N.N. Raju and president (AP State Branch) G. Suresh Kumar, along with president of Visakha Psychiatric Society G.V.S. Murty said that mental disorders have to be dealt with utmost care, providing proper treatment and support system to the patients.
