They conduct games. They organise art and music therapy classes. On special days, there is even a puppy play session. At other times, they just lend a sympathetic ear while you wait for your order to arrive, after a long day’s work. Launched in November 2021, ‘Your Sugar Daddy’ is a mental health cafe in Mohali, Punjab, that offers de-stressing activities to its customers.
The edgy name is guaranteed to provoke questions, but Angel D’Souza, the 21-year-old founder of the cafe and a psychology student, makes light of it stating that the name only sounded unique. She says, “I know my cafe’s efforts are like a drop in the ocean in the mental health space. However, I wish to create a spark that will end the associated stigma.” The cafe is a pandemic baby. The rise in mental health issues and the negativity around it made her aware of the need for a space that feels safe and comfortable.
According to an Indian Psychiatric Society survey in 2020, the number of mental illness cases had increased by 20 percent since the Covid-19 lockdown. Loss of employment, economic slowdown, isolation, and the rise in domestic abuse amidst the pandemic are the reasons, the survey pointed out. “I’ve always wanted to help lonely or sad folks. I’ve vivid memories of an eight-year-old me yearning to talk to that engineering student who attempts suicide in 3 Idiots,” adds D’Souza. In 2019, when she enrolled herself as a psychology student at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, D’Souza faced mental health issues. Later, she had to pursue her degree online due to the pandemic. At that point, she realised that we don’t talk about mental health openly due to the stigma attached to it.
Among the activities at the cafe are bonfire nights, a ‘know yourself’ quiz and a Stroop effect activity. Stroop effect is the delay in reaction time between congruent and incongruent stimuli. The results have been used to create a psychological test that is used in clinical practice and investigation of brain processes. Guests can also participate in optical illusion games that help players understand themselves better.
D’Souza ran a cloud kitchen before opening the cafe. Online learning gave her plenty of time to think about her dream venture that finally took shape late last year. The cafe offers puppy therapy too that costs around Rs 500 for a session that lasts more than two hours. “Visitors are provided mindfulness colouring sheets as a part of our art therapy, after which is the colour game, adapted from the Stroop effect. The cafe also has an array of snack options such as chocolate fondue box, customised pinatas and Ramen Bowls—but with the added flavour called mental health.