BENGALURU: The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) held the first edition of Community Connect, a public mental health engagement event, at Lalbagh Botanical Garden on Saturday.
Organised by the Department of Mental Health Education, in collaboration with the Departments of Psychiatric Social Work and Clinical Psychopharmacology and Neurotoxicology, the event aimed to create an open space for mental health dialogue. The Department of Horticulture provided venue support.
NIMHANS Director Pratima Murthy led the session, which saw participation from over 60 people, including students and members of the public. She spoke about the need to shift mental health discussions from clinical settings into everyday spaces and encouraged participants to reflect on how they manage stress and emotional wellbeing.
“We need to take mental health conversations outside hospital walls to the public spaces where people gather, reflect, and connect,” she said, adding, “Community Connect is about creating informal, welcoming spaces where individuals feel safe to speak, share, and listen without fear of judgment.
Topics discussed included coping mechanisms, sleep hygiene, grief, lifestyle impact on mental health, and the effect of social isolation. A participant with Parkinson’s disease shared experiences of exclusion, prompting further discussion on visible and invisible disabilities, including ADHD and autism.