Panel Discussion – World Mental Health Report 2022

The Department of Psychology, St. Teresa’s College, (Autonomous), Ernakulam in collaboration with ASCENT (Association for Social Change, Evolution, and Transformation) organized a Panel Discussion on the World Mental Health Report 2022: Perspectives and Implications on July 30^th, 2022. Eminent experts from the field of Psychology, Law, and Local Governance participated in this program.

Dr. Chinchu C, Research Consultant from ASCENT introduced the WMHR 2022 and discussed the actions required from the Local and State governments to implement action policies for addressing the severe lags in the mental health services in the State. Dr. Noufal Hameed, a practicing Clinical Psychologist from Bangalore, spoke about the Help-Seeking Status for Mental Health Issues. Dr. Soumya Raj, Psychiatrist, and Nodal Officer, District Mental Health Office, Ernakulam discussed the Solutions and Possibilities to Strengthen Mental Health Services. She spoke about the real challenges faced by mental health professionals while providing services from her real-life experiences. Honorable Justice A Muhamad Mustaque, Kerala High Court provided insight into the prospects and concerns of the Indian Legal system and Mental health. Hon. Shri Hibi Eden, Member of Parliament discussed the Possibilities and Challenges for Legislative members in the Mental Health sector. This was followed by a question-answer session which saw huge audience participation.

There were various questions from the audience regarding the stigma prevailing against mental health and many shared their personal experiences in this matter. Dr. Chinchu C summarized the points discussed and the major takeaways from the interactions and discussions.

The program helped educate students and other professionals from the mental health field regarding the current condition of mental health services in the State and the challenges faced by mental health professionals and ways to deal with the problems. The program was attended by 120 participants including faculty and students from other colleges in the State, lawyers representing Kerala Legal Services Authority, social workers, and psychologists from Sakhi One Stop Center, and also practicing psychologists from Bangalore and Dubai.