Hyderabad-based Roshni Trust fights mental health stigma
Hyderabad: The acceptance and awareness about mental health have still a long road ahead. While the topic is slowly being discussed and debated among the privileged, it is still seen as a taboo in the underprivileged sections of society. However, one such organisation has been trying to create more awareness about mental health issues among […]
Hyderabad: The acceptance and awareness about mental health have still a long road ahead. While the topic is slowly being discussed and debated among the privileged, it is still seen as a taboo in the underprivileged sections of society. However, one such organisation has been trying to create more awareness about mental health issues among the underprivileged sections through their various initiatives.
Hyderabad-based Roshni Trust was founded in 1997 and since then it has been offering free and confidential emotional support to the depressed through a call. The trust started its service by offering a helpline for the depressed through its centre in Secunderabad and since then it has set up a counseling centre in 2010 and has recently launched Psychiatry at Doorstep service for the underprivileged.
“When we started the trust in 1997, our first initiative was the helpline and the free centre wherein people could avail services of the volunteers. However, over the years we realised that it was not enough and so we moved to set up a counseling centre for all mental health-related issues. We have a psychologist, counselor, therapists, and child guidance centre, among other things. We have various counselors for different issues ranging from career guidance, adolescence, marriage guidance, and others. We also embarked on setting free mental health camps for counseling and also providing medications,” says Shashi Reddy, founder, Roshni Trust.
These mental camps by the trust are completely free and are conducted every week and it is a facility that is being held especially for the underprivileged. These camps, according to Reddy, are set up in the low-income sections of the society wherein the people cannot afford doctor consultation and medication. In this process, the trust realised that not many people were actually making the effort to attend these camps due to the stigma attached to mental health issues.
“That is when we thought why not provide the service of psychiatry at the doorstep of these patients. That is how we launched the service about three months ago. In the last three months we have slowly and gradually been trying to remove and evaluate the stigma attached with mental health issues. We are talking to Anganwadi workers and other volunteers in helping us setting up banners and posters that will help people identify signs and symptoms of mental health. We are also running awareness videos in these areas along with associating with nearby schools so as to educate the children who will in turn educate their parents,” says Shanthi Kirsh, founder, Roshni Trust.
Roshni Trust plans to start their doorstep campaigning for the initiative from February onwards and it will help in reducing the stigma and bring more awareness about mental health.
To get in touch with the helpline people can call 040 66202000 / 66202001 and for appointments at the counseling centre one can call at 040 66661117 / 66661118 from 10 AM to 6 PM from Monday to Saturday. One can also check their website https://roshnitrusthyd.org/ for further details.
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