Disability affairs dept launches campaign to promote mental well-being

New Delhi: The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) has launched a series of activities during Mental Health Awareness Week 2024, aimed at building a national dialogue on mental health.

Through this campaign, the department seeks to promote mental health awareness across the country, fostering inclusive and supportive communities that prioritise mental well-being.

A significant part of the campaign is led by the National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR), Sehore, which is focusing on mental health at workplaces, according to an official statement.

The institute is organising workshops highlighting the importance of creating supportive work environments for mental well-being. The initiative emphasises the need for collective action to ensure workplaces are mentally healthy and inclusive for all employees, it said.

In Secunderabad, the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (NIEPID) has kicked off the awareness week with a motivational rally, bringing attention to the mental health challenges faced by individuals with intellectual disabilities and generating enthusiasm around addressing these issues, the statement said.

Meanwhile, the National Institute for Locomotor Disabilities (NILD), Kolkata, and the Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya National Institute for Persons with Physical Disabilities (Pt. DDU NIPPD), New Delhi, are hosting workshops, health camps, and interactive activities designed to engage local communities and offer support to those dealing with mental health concerns, it said.

These efforts by DEPwD and its institutions aim to encourage individuals across the country to take mental health seriously and contribute to creating a society where mental well-being is a priority, the statement added.