Media Release

Mangaluru, Oct 19: On October 10, the world celebrates mental health day and this year’s theme was 'Mental health in an unequal world'. The postgraduate department of Psychology launched a campaign '1:10-Each One Reach Ten'.

The staff and the students of the postgraduate department of Psychology at St Agnes College, took it upon themselves to declutter the stigma related to mental health and spread awareness about the extolled topic. The students were determined to remain true to the theme and go to rural areas and spread awareness about mental health. The department also decided that per student would be spreading awareness to at least ten people that is 1:10.

The II MSc Psychology students came up with a module on mental health awareness, Where they addressed on issues like 'What is Health', 'What is Mental Health', 'Why Mental Health is Important', 'What are the Mental Health Problems', 'How to Handle Minor Mental health concerns at Individual Level', and they also addressed regarding the 'mental health acts' as well as 'how to avail different Mental health Services'.

Each student took up the responsibility meticulously, the students of the Department tried reaching different groups via offline and Online Mode, Some students took up Online sessions on mental health awareness for Student population, a few for Parents, some addressed the Women population.

While few students did online sessions, few went on to do offline sessions; a group of students took up a session for residents of Hejamadi village. One student from Bengaluru took up a session for cowherds in a rural place in Bengaluru. A few students took up session for graduate and postgraduate students at Catholicate College at Pathanamithitta, Kerala. Another group of students conducted session among their family and friends in online mode, which had participants from Dubai and Qatar. All the 36 Students took up session for different groups at different locations.

The faculty members of the department also were a part of the campaign in spreading awareness of Mental Health. Deepa Kotari, assistant professor department of Psychology conducted the awareness programme at the Agnesian Toastmasters Club on the Theme Emotional First Aid; she also in collaboration with the District Women and Child Welfare department Mangaluru conducted a session on mental health awareness for 50 Anganwadi teachers of Mangaluru region.

Ashwini, assistant professor department of Psychology conducted a session for rural Women on the topic 'Women and Mental Health' at Anganwadi Kendra, Devi Nagar Talapadi. Della Corderio, assistant professor of psychology conducted a themed meeting on 'Mind Matters' as a part of the awareness campaign.

The campaign started on October 10 and had a closure October 18. In total the campaign had 1,000 plus beneficiaries through the 1:10 EACH ONE REACH TEN campaign. The HOD of the department Dr Premanand and other faculty members guided the students in designing and providing frame work for the awareness module.