BHUBANESWAR: All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar conducted a campaign to raise awareness and promote mental health among youths in the run-up to World Mental Health Day on October 10. The Department of Psychiatry, College of Nursing and Department of Community Medicine and Family Medicine joined hands for interactive programmes on abuse, gadget addiction, youth psychology and mental health problems in changing times.
While sensitisation activities were conducted in collaboration with District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), Khurda in GIFT Engineering College and Rama Devi Women’s University, a free health camp was organised at Mendhasal CHC.“We have also conducted an awareness lecture in AIIMS Outpatient Department while lectures by mental health experts and cyber experts have been planned on Wednesday to mark the event,” said Head of Department of Psychiatry Dr Susanta Padhy.
As per the National Mental Health Survey, 2016, about 7.5 per cent of the surveyed individuals in 12 States in the age group of 18-29 years have a diagnosable mental disorder. While one in five college students experience mental health problems, one in 10 experiment with drugs, tobacco and alcohol. As many as 70 per cent of adults having mental health problems reported that their problems started in childhood.
“Young people are being subjected to a number of stressors which may lead to several mental health problems ranging from depression and anxiety to psychosis. It is high time to understand the mental health of youth,” added Dr Padhy.