In an attempt to raise awareness on mental health, especially during the pandemic, the Tamil Nadu Association of Clinical Psychiatrists set a world record for the most number of clinical psychiatrists hosting a webinar at a given time on October 31, which was recently certified.
Chennai: A total of 67 clinical psychiatrists held a one-hour long webinar on the topic ‘Mental Health For All: Greater Investment and Greater Accessibility’ with 5,802 participants. The webinar was open to all and featured professionals from across the nation, including two psychiatrists from Saudi Arabia.
The reason for the same was to increase awareness on mental health and accessibility to a wider audience, said N Suresh Kumar, secretary, Tamil Nadu Association of Clinical Psychiatrists. “According to the WHO statistics for 2020, India has the largest population suffering from depression. This statistic was before the pandemic, and it has only increased owing to the stressors and conditions of the pandemic and the shutdown,” he said. The webinar spoke about emotional issues like anxiety, depression and the relevant coping mechanisms suggested by the WHO in treating the same. The main objective, according to Kumar, was to destigmatise seeking mental help, which continues to be prevalent in society today.
“In addition, we need to have more government support, both financially and legally, to promote mental health. Currently, only three per cent of the health budget is reserved for mental health. Looking at the affected population, it is deeply disproportionate. With government support, perhaps the stigma behind seeking mental help will reduce,” said Kumar.
The record was set with the Elite World Records, the Asian Book of Records, the Indian Book of Records and the Tamilan Book of Records.
The reason for the same was to increase awareness on mental health and accessibility to a wider audience, said N Suresh Kumar, secretary, Tamil Nadu Association of Clinical Psychiatrists. “According to the WHO statistics for 2020, India has the largest population suffering from depression. This statistic was before the pandemic, and it has only increased owing to the stressors and conditions of the pandemic and the shutdown,” he said. The webinar spoke about emotional issues like anxiety, depression and the relevant coping mechanisms suggested by the WHO in treating the same. The main objective, according to Kumar, was to destigmatise seeking mental help, which continues to be prevalent in society today.
“In addition, we need to have more government support, both financially and legally, to promote mental health. Currently, only three per cent of the health budget is reserved for mental health. Looking at the affected population, it is deeply disproportionate. With government support, perhaps the stigma behind seeking mental help will reduce,” said Kumar.
The record was set with the Elite World Records, the Asian Book of Records, the Indian Book of Records and the Tamilan Book of Records.
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