This NGO is helping participants understand areas of mental health like communication, empathy, inter-personal relationships and more.
As part of the annual mental health awareness campaign, participants paint the walls of The Wheel Cafe in Madikeri
Bengaluru :
Every alternate Sunday morning, a group of individuals gather in the tranquil embrace of Cubbon Park, Bengaluru, for a unique mental health session called ‘Sundays for Mental Health’, organised by a Kodagu-based NGO Mind and Matter.
As the gentle breeze sets the stage, participants attend the event not just to meet, but to connect. Through a variety of carefully curated games, activities, paintings, etc, the NGO assist the participants to understand areas of different mental health such as communication, empathy, inter-personal relationships and more. In case someone comes up to them with a serious problem, the NGO refers it to mental health professionals.
Venkatesh, a chartered accountant who attended the event on Sunday, said, “There’s unmistakable warmth here. It helped me a lot. The session has given me a chance to look into my soul. It helped me understand myself much better.”
Another participant, Somnath, said, “This is my second campaign with Mind and Matters, and I understood how to look at the same situation from a different perspective.”
In a world where problems related to mental health often take a backseat, Mind and Matter stands as a beacon of hope, offering support to individuals in need. The NGO has stepped into the fray with free programmes which it organises in Bengaluru, Mysuru and Kodagu, and plans to expand to cities like Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai as well. It aims to break the stigma around mental health with a short yet moderate plan under expert guidance, a holistic approach and compassionate care.
Trustee and founder of Mind and Matter Deepika Appaiah said, “We work with schools, colleges, parents and teachers. Our initiative has impacted about 13,000 children and over 700 parents and teachers. Our organisation is run by volunteers, so we invite people to join us and provide them training from the Department of Psychiatric Social Work, Nimhans, in Bengaluru.
As of now, we have 150 volunteers.” From housewives to working professionals, the numbers joining the initiative are only growing. Registered in 2021, Mind and Matter has collaborated with Nimhans and is witnessing a spike in enrolment.
Mental health programme in schools in Mysuru
Dr Aravind Raj, Department of Psychiatric Social Work of Nimhans, and one of the pioneers of the initiative, said, “Mental health professionals are often confined to hospitals, where stigma deters people from seeking help. It is one of the reasons to take mental health initiatives outside hospitals.” He stressed the need for more awareness campaigns in society.
Mental health includes different methods of handling situations: understanding one’s potential, dealing with stress in a positive way, being productive and contributing to society. “Our motto is to promote all these among people, so their vulnerability to developing mental disorders comes down,” he said.
According to several reports, it has been identified that rural residents have inadequate mental health knowledge, tied to entrenched stigma and low literacy. In urban areas, people are grappling with work stress, especially Bengaluru’s techies. Dr Raj said Mind and Matter wants to penetrate that area and make them recognise the importance of mental well-being. “We also train Anganwadi workers and teachers and provide care in rural areas,” he added.
Mental illness affects 8% of population
According to the 2015–2016 National Mental Health Survey (NMHS), conducted by Nimhans and considered one of the best benchmarks, 8 per cent of Karnataka’s population, which is 1 out of 12 people, suffers from mental illnesses and requires care. Dr Raj and Appaiah say this is primarily because of a lack of awareness.
“The kind of transformation I have witnessed in people drives me to continue this work. Over time, I understood after attending the programmes we organise, that people feel it is okay to ask for help,” she noted. “If the initiative had never worked, people wouldn’t come back to us. More importantly, there is no monetary benefit involved, which means it has personally impacted me,” Appaiah said, a smile on her face. “I believe my family is my biggest support, and thank my entire team for their contribution.”
While the NGO is run for a noble cause, Appaiah says that sometimes, it is difficult to continue the initiative on such a large scale if there isn’t enough financial support. Appaiah, who also runs a café in Coorg, said it provides support. “We don’t go out to ask for donations. People who have worked with us donate money. The café is an extension of whatever we do here. However, now we are trying to collect funds from corporates or through CSR activities,” she said. Dr Raj also stressed that resource management is important.
A group of youngsters chit-chat after the Sundays for Mental Health programme in Cubbon Park, in Bengaluru / Photo | Express
source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Bengaluru / by Saptarshi C / March 03rd, 2025
