‘The Inner Call’ in collaboration with CUK conducts awareness program on World Mental Health Day

Ganderbal, Oct 10 (Only Kashmir): On the occasion of World Mental Health Day observed on 10th October, The Inner Call Forum for Evolution, Development and Awareness, in collaboration with the Central University of Kashmir (CUK) organized one-day awareness program with the theme “Young People and Mental Health In a Changing World’. The awareness program was organized at the Tulmulla campus of Central University.
The welcome address was delivered by Dr Zahoor Ahmad Najar, Coordinator of the Department of Information Technology. Students of the Department of Information Technology and the Department of Physical Education participated in the program.
Speaking on the occasion, Secretary The Inner Call, Affan Yesvi spoke about the need to focus on mental health problems faced by the youth.
Yesvi said that modern times are increasingly marked by nuclear families, where youth lack the support system provided by the grandparents and the larger family network. He said that in close-knit traditional societies, children grew up in an environment of sharing and caring. But youth were becoming self-centered now. Hence there was an alarming increase in the cases of anxiety and depression.



Yesvi pointed out that that one can see issues of anxiety and stress related to modern technology like Facebook or social media platforms. He said he had seen youth getting stressed or upset if they were not able to access the social media platforms.
The speakers at the workshop spoke about the Kashmir Mental Health Survey report released in 2016 by Medicine Without Frontiers, an international body of doctors. This was the first of its kind report that detailed the burden of psychiatric illnesses in Kashmir, where conflict and trauma have been witnessed for decades. It was discussed that as per the survey, one in every four households in Kashmir had a member who suffered from a mental illness. The survey stated that as many as 1.8 million (45%) adults in the Kashmir were experiencing symptoms of mental distress with 41% exhibiting probable depression.
Besides, Yesvi, Registrar Central University Prof Fayaz A Nika delivered the presidential address on the occasion. He spoke about how to tackle stress through productive means. He urged the students to consciously inculcate a ‘be positive-stay positive’ attitude.
On the occasion, Dr Arif Maghribi Khan, Counsellor and Psychiatrist, gave a detailed overview of various mental health issues in Kashmir, especially those related to youth.
Dy. DSW, Dr Zahoor Gilani, while speaking on the occasion urged the students to focus on the spiritual aspect of personality development.
After the talks focusing on mental health, the students engaged in an interactive question-answer session. A counseling session and group exercise was also organized for the students. Ms Vandana Arora, a transformational coach, engaged the participants at the awareness workshop in various exercises on mental health.