Dimapur, Aug. 31 (EMN): The District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), Kohima, has expressed delight to note the significant growing awareness on ‘Mental health and mental health issues’ particularly in Kohima.
An update from DMHP informed that it had conducted mental health camps in community health centres (CHC) and awareness programmes on mental health and common mental health issues in various schools/ colleges and churches in the past four years. Besides, it has disseminated information on the subject matter through the All India Radio (AIR) recording/ live sessions.
“The seed sowed by DMHP Kohima are blooming beamingly as the educational institutions and churches are taking proactive role in recent times. Numerous invitations received at our end to be the resource persons on various events, to name a few which took place lately,” said Veronica Nriame, psychiatric social worker at DMHP, Kohima.
Nriame stated that a programme on ‘Understanding children’s mental health and core counsesling skills for teachers’ was organised by the Administrative Training Institute (ATI), Kohima, on August 26, 2022, while the Kohima Zeme Baptist Church conducted a programme on the topic ‘Introduction to mental health and common mental health issues’ in their youth seminar held on August 13 last and a seminar on ‘Substance abuse and significance of intervention’ was organised by Mount Herman Higher Secondary School on August 12.
Besides, Don Bosco College, Kohima, organised seminar on ‘Importance of mental health and common mental health issues’ on May 7. Prior to that, a seminar on ‘Stress management for ministerial staff’ was held on May 4 at Kohima College, a DMHP stated.
DMHP has appreciated all the institutions for paving the way forward and emphasising on the importance of mental health through awareness to the younger generations. It has stressed on the importance to promote mental health among the school teachers and the ministerial staff.
“Abuse of substances/ alcohol, anxiety and depressions disorders are rising rampantly in our society. We can combat these issues by conducting awareness sessions to disseminate information on the subject matter, seeking professional help at the initial stage for better prognosis and to create more platform and venue to openly discuss the mental health issues and strive for primary prevention,” the statement read.