Bengaluru recently hosted the much-awaited second edition of Manotsava: National Mental Health Festival, drawing hundreds of participants from across the country. Co-created by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, NIMHANS, and NCBS, the festival transformed the Lalit Ashok venue into a vibrant hub where conversations around mental health, vulnerability, and community care took center stage. Breaking the silence...
In an era where conversations about mental health often feel either overly clinical or lost in self-help noise, Kidiki arrives with the simplicity of a window, inviting us to pause, breathe, and look inward. A tactile, card-based practice, Kidiki transforms the act of naming sensations, feelings, and needs into a daily ritual of listening. Launched...
On October 17 and 18, the NIMHANS Convention Centre in Bengaluru hosted Mental Health Santhe 4.0, an event focused on suicide prevention, digital wellness, and community-based support. The gathering brought together hundreds of participants, including families, students, health professionals, and members of various NGOs. The Santhe aligned with World Mental Health Day’s international campaign, which...
India saw one of its most ambitious mental health initiatives for schools earlier this month, led by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). This virtual campaign ran from October 4 to 10, and was designed to bring mental health support and conversations directly into school...
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Day, Anna Chandy & Associates is launching UnFine, a campaign that invites us to look beyond the default and tune in to the unspoken. We say “I’m fine” so often. Sometimes we say so reflexively, sometimes out of fear. But beneath those words there often lies a silent struggle. ...
As more people turn to artificial intelligence for emotional support, OpenAI has released significant updates to ChatGPT aimed at addressing mental health concerns and prioritizing user safety. These updates are designed to make the chatbot less likely to foster unhealthy dependencies or provide inappropriate advice, and are informed by consultations with clinicians and technology experts....
The Delhi government is set to launch a comprehensive mental health program aimed at children, working adults, and seniors, marking a significant step toward addressing the city’s growing mental health challenges. The initiative features a four-tier system designed to make mental health support more accessible and culturally sensitive. The new program will offer: Anonymous telephonic...
As a first-person essay, this does not require review by our team of Reviewers. Barring minor changes for grammar and sentence structure, we have kept the voice of the author intact. I had always been a quiet person with a small friend circle. Life had had its ups and downs, but it was in the...
As mental health challenges among Indian students reach crisis levels, MyndStories, India’s first holistic content-driven mental health platform, has launched MyndSafe, a suite of innovative, culturally sensitive mental health programs designed specifically for schools and colleges. What ails the Indian education system? Post-pandemic, Indian school children are witnessing a sharp rise in anxiety, depression, and...
Many people arrive at their profession by design, with their inspirational journeys being the stuff of TED Talks. However, 42-year-old Dr. Teena Augustine Joseph (aka Teena) arrived at hers by fire. Today, she runs Being Balanced, a psychotherapy practice based in Bengaluru that quietly challenges the noise and the performative nature of the mental health...
A pioneering study has unveiled a promising non-invasive treatment for individuals struggling with depression, anxiety, and trauma-related disorders. Using low-intensity focused ultrasound, researchers have managed to directly target and modulate the amygdala, a deep brain region long linked to emotional regulation and mental health disorders-without the need for surgery or medication. How the treatment works...
Have you come across people who seem to have sudden involuntary tics or movements? They could be living with Tourette Syndrome. Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurological condition that causes these involuntary movements and sounds called tics and is estimated to affect up to 1% of the world's population. These tics can make daily life...
We are having more ultra-processed food (UPF) than ever before. And that is reshaping not just our waistlines but our minds. A new study published in the journal Nutrients has added powerful evidence to a growing consensus: diets high in UPFs are linked to a greater risk of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders....
India is experiencing a significant transformation in attitudes toward mental health, as evidenced by a recent Policybazaar report showing a dramatic rise in both interest and claims for mental health insurance. Over the past two to three years, mental health-related insurance claims have increased by 30% to 50%, reflecting growing awareness, reduced stigma, and expanded...
Trigger warning: Mentions of anxiety, grief, and suicidal thoughts. The glow of her phone screen was the only light piercing through the dark. Shadows clung to the walls. Rachita* couldn’t breathe. Her chest tightened. Panic, familiar and relentless, curled its way back into her throat. Not again. Her fingers hovered over the phone. At the...
Sometimes, the hardest step is not choosing to go to a therapist; it's choosing the right therapist for yourself. Looking for therapy for the first time can feel like stepping into a world full of similar-sounding titles. Psychologist. Psychotherapist. Psychiatrist. Counselor. It can be overwhelming and confusing to decide who is best for you. What...
"We don’t need big revolutions to create change; small, thoughtful actions can transform lives.” – Vinaya Chinnappa, CEO, Incluzza As the author is a trained mental health professional, this content doesn't need an external reviewer. In a world where architectural barriers often mirror societal ones, Incluzza is helping dismantle both, one inclusive space at a...
A young bride in rural Uttar Pradesh, barely out of her teens at 24, had fallen silent. Pooja (a pseudonym), newly married, retreated into the hushed world of her own making, eating only when pressed, her gaze locked onto a fixed point in the room. To her family, it wasn’t sickness they saw, but stubbornness....
What happens when you're raised to believe that struggle should be silent? That pain is yours to bear alone? That being unseen and unheard is just how life works? Mental health care wasn’t designed with South Asians in mind. The stigma. The silence. The expectation to “just deal with it.” For many, therapy feels foreign-...
