The World Mental Health Day is celebrated each year on the 10th of October. It was celebrated for the first time in the year 1992, after which it gradually was picked up by more and more countries. The aim of celebrating this day is to generate public awareness about mental illness, bring out various mental health worker’s efforts and to further plan and implement the basic needs of mental health. Each year, a theme is picked up and remains the focus for the entire year such as schizophrenia, depression, mental health and the elderly.

For the year 2015, the theme is “Dignity in mental health”. It is well known that the mentally ill, have to struggle amidst the stream of adversities posed by their own illness as well as the society’s inability to respond appropriately. In the medieval times, the persons with mental illness were considered to be”possessed”, “devious”or of immoral character. The treatment considered best was segregation, discrimination, humiliation and exorcism which in some instances involved killing the person with mental illness. Gradually, with the herculean efforts of Psychiatrists like Pinel and Bassaglia more humane methods of treatment and inclusive approach by the society began to take shape.

Unfortunately, even in today’s times, the mentally ill continue to be ostracized and stripped off their dignity day in and day out. Stigmatization, discrimination, lack of acceptance make the suffering worse for a person who is already suffering from a mental illness. With the the focus on Dignity in Mental Health, the aim will be to raise awareness and acceptance about individuals suffering from mental illness, to provide such persons easy access to mental health services sans any negative intonation of perceived and displayed stigma along with providing these individuals a life of confidence, competence, independence and dignity.

Venue: Delhi Mind Clinic, Arcadi Super Speciality Centre,
J-354, New Rajinder Nagra, New Delhi