Global Mental Health Expert Vikram Patel Launches Young Artist’s Exhibition on Depression in New Delhi

The event was organised by Indian mental health NGO, Sangath, along with the American Center and the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute, Harvard University, and also featured youth health expert, Ishita Chaudhry who founded The YP Foundation, a youth-led and run non-profit organization.

During the discussion, all three speakers spoke candidly about their own mental health and challenges experiences and emphasized the need for more accessible mental healthcare services for young people in India.

Talking about the inspiration for the exhibit and the zines, 23 year old Ishita Mehra said, “Many of these pieces were created last year when I was in the middle of months of breakdowns, depression, anxiety and self-harm. There is nothing charming about grief and anger. Yet, when I look back, what came out of it, was beautiful. I became, me. Living with chronic depression for five years made me feel strongly about the issue of young people’s mental health. I hope to use my art and creative expression to create stories from lived experiences that have the power to connect with people and help them understand their journey as well.”

Dr. Shekhar Saxena, Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse (MSD), WHO, Geneva delivered the closing remarks for the discussion.

This event was part of a series “In Our Own Words”, by It’s Ok To Talk, a unique youth initiative by Sangath that engages adolescents and youth with issues of mental health through digital interventions and community based activities. The program runs a website www.itsoktotalk.in that offers young people across India a dedicated space to talk about their mental health and illness.