Jammu and Kashmir: Mental health awareness programme held at KU's North Campus

The day-long event titled “Mental health of emerging generations: issues, challenges and remedies” was organised by the Department of Students Welfare in collaboration with North Campus to raise awareness on the importance of mental health and well-being, the varsity said in a statement. In their special remarks on the occasion, Dean of Students Welfare Prof Raies A Qadri and Director North Campus Prof Parvaiz Ahmad highlighted aims and objectives of the awareness programme, especially in the backdrop of outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic which has exacerbated mental health concerns and challenges across the globe.

“There is a collective effort needed to protect all those suffering from any type of mental health problem to help them cope with the mental pressures and ensure that they don’t feel isolated or shunned in any manner,” Prof Qadri said.

Prof Parvaiz said the ongoing pandemic has led to mental health concerns even amongst frontline health workers, older people and teens alike because of the bereavement, isolation and psychological pressure that it has brought in its wake.

“With such awareness programmes, we urge the participants to send a message in the community that people facing mental health problems need to be taken care of with respect and dignity, and not disowned or isolated,” he said, calling for doing away with any stigmatisation of mental health problems.

In his keynote address, Professor Abdul Majid, Head Department of Psychiatry, SKIMS Medical College, highlighted the importance of the awareness programme in the backdrop of mental health issues and challenges that continue to exist amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“There are varied reasons behind emergence of mental health problems. People must go for adequate sleep, take a balanced diet, connect with family and friends, undertake regular exercises and discuss mental health issues, if any, with experts in order to address the same,” he said.

A question-answer session was later held wherein students and staff posed several queries to Prof Majid, who answered the same to their satisfaction. During the day-long session, the issues related to drug abuse were also discussed prominently. Zahid Jeelani, Junior Coordinator at DSW presented a vote of thanks.