Scaling Up Mental Health Support in Rural India
Today is World Mental Health Day which aims to raise awareness of mental health issues and mobilise efforts in support of mental health around the world.
The theme for World Mental Health Day 2023 is ‘Mental Health is a universal human right’ and our work supporting the mental health of unpaid carers in South Asia and those they care for, strives to ensure that good mental health is afforded to people who may otherwise be overlooked.
Supporting unpaid carers' mental health in rural India
Mental health is an integral aspect of caregiving, and during our founder Anil Patil’s recent visit to India, he initiated five projects to scale up our work supporting the mental health of carers and those they care for, with our existing partners in Tamil Nadu and Odisha states. These projects not only address carers’ mental health issues but also support persons being cared for in the community.
This work is possible due to one of our funders, The Live Love Laugh Foundation in India, recently granting us new funding which will help us support 4,500 unpaid carers and 22,500 people in total, over the next 12 months in the states of Odisha and Tamil Nadu.
This will see us working with our local charity partners, WORD, SPREAD, Ekta and Vasantham Federation, continuing to support carers in areas where we are already working, as well as reaching into new parts of the two states and finding more unpaid carers that need our support.
How we help carers with their mental health in South Asia
Our projects work to reduce feelings of isolation in carers and improve their mental health and emotional well-being, as well as increase their confidence in their advocacy skills. We raise awareness of issues around mental health and caring and establish sustainable links between carers and local health authorities.
We are also working to improve the mental health of those with mental illness, and those being cared for. Our work improves access to mental health services and treatment. We identify people with mental illness and epilepsy and organise mental health camps to provide treatment and support for newly identified cases.
Another large part of our work is building up the skills of partner staff, raising awareness of the issues that unpaid carers face and improving livelihood options and income levels for people with mental illness and epilepsy and their unpaid carers.
“World Mental Health Day 2023 reminds us that mental health is a universal human right. At Carers Worldwide, it's not just our mission; it's our commitment to those with mental illness and their carers, aiming to improve knowledge, raise awareness, and drive actions. With the support of generous funders like The Live Love Laugh Foundation, we are not only transforming lives but also sparking hope in Tamil Nadu and Odisha States in India. Let this inspire everyone, demonstrating that change is possible!”
Support from foundations like The Live Love Laugh Foundation is really important to help us achieve our vision of a world in which every carer is valued and their needs are met, but you can help too. Any donation, whatever its size can help us support more unpaid carers, so please consider donating to help carers in India today.
We have recently won an award for a film we produced about mental health struggles in rural India. Read about us winning the at the Big Syn International Film Festival and watch the film.
