Mental health awareness programme held in Guwahati

GUWAHATI, Oct 10: The Department of Psychology, Cotton University in collaboration with the North East Indian Association of Applied Psychology organized a mental health awareness programme on the occasion of World Mental Health Day, a press communiqué stated.

This year the theme was ‘Young People and Mental Health in the Changing World’. The Department took an initiative of addressing various mental health related issues faced by the younger generation.

Registrar of Cotton University, DK Das in his inaugural speech congratulated the various novel initiatives taken by the department since its inception in 2015. He laid emphasis and highlighted the importance of sound psychological health of younger generation and the various challenges faced by them in the present times. The Academic Registrar, SK Dutta also highly appreciated the enthusiasm shown by the Department in taking psychology beyond the four walls of the classroom.

The Convenor of today’s programme and the Founding Head of the Psychology Department, Dimpy Mahanta emphasized on the various psychological issues faced by the adolescents and the young adults in today’s times, which if not recognized and managed, these feelings can lead to mental illness. She focused on prevention which begins with being aware of and understanding the early warning signs and symptoms of mental illness. Parents and teachers can help build life skills of children and adolescents to help them cope with everyday challenges at home and at school.

Dr. Mahanta also carried out a workshop on ‘Stress Management and Resilience Building’ where students from several schools and colleges across the city had participated.

The Students of the Department had performed a skit on the ordeals faced by the youngsters when they become victims of the unrealistic expectations of parents, thereby becoming victims of bullying, depression, low self esteem, substance abuse and in extreme cases, they run into the risk of committing suicides, the communiqué added.