Community Business India Conference 2018
Mental health is a deeply taboo subject in India – as a result the issues are poorly understood, access to information is limited and millions are not getting the support they need. In this session we explore disruptive and pioneering approaches designed to raise awareness about mental health conditions and increase access to support.
In September 2017, McCann Health India rolled out a disruptive campaign on Mumbai local trains. With a target audience of 8 million commuters, announcements were made during rush hour that sounded as if the operators had forgotten the next station their trains would be arriving at. Surprised commuters discovered that these were social awareness messages about not taking regular forgetfulness lightly, as it can be a symptom of diseases like Alzheimer’s.
In 2015, recognising the lack of access to mental health care in India, Shipra Dawa founded ePsyclinic, India's first online counselling service. Today this pioneering platform provides access to mental health care to hundreds of Indians every day.
We explore the motivation behind both initiatives and discuss the impact they are having on reducing the stigma and overcoming the obstacles around mental health in India.