Indore News: Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences' Rural Outreach On Mental Health

Indore (Madhya Pradesh): On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, the Department of Clinical Psychology at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences (SAIMS) organised an awareness programme in village Kanjlana to emphasise that mental health is as important as physical health.

Speaking at the event, Dr Renu Pandey, head of the Clinical Psychology Department, said that people in rural areas often pay attention to their physical well-being but tend to neglect mental health due to lack of awareness. She added that the department decided to reach villages directly to spread awareness and will continue such initiatives in the future as part of its community outreach efforts.

Under the guidance and encouragement of SAIMS founder chairman Dr Vinod Bhandari, students of the department presented a nukkad natak (street play) highlighting the importance of mental well-being, symptoms of mental disorders, and their simple solutions in an easy and relatable manner.

The play featured students Kranti More, Ananya Dubey, Tanisha Jain, Ananya Gupta, Nakshatra Roz, Muskan Jain, Hansika Adyani, Shruti Pagare, and Aashi Garg, who received appreciation for their performances.

The event was held with the support of Kanjlana Gram Panchayat Sarpanch Vinod Patel and member Arjun and witnessed enthusiastic participation from villagers, including elders, women, children, and youth. Following the play, the team conducted a psycho-education session and distributed pamphlets to help villagers identify and understand symptoms of mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia.

[Story by Staff Reporter]