Cinema can be a powerful medium to create awareness on mental health issues
The second day of the 21st WFMH World Congress was very insightful and compelling, with discussions on cinema and mental health; and the proper operationalization of the soon to be implemented Mental Healthcare Act 2017. The World Congress is being organized by the World Federation of Mental Health (WFMH), the largest global alliance of mental health professionals, national health associations, NGOs, policy experts, and other institutions at The Ashok, New Delhi from November 2-5, 2017. The World Congress is being organized in the SAARC region for the very first time.
Addressing the audience at Day 2 of the first of its kind conference, WCMH Organizing Chairmen Dr Sunil Mittal and Dr Neelam Kumar Bohra said, “The sessions today were multifaceted in their approach, discussing everything from fitness for mental health to how cinema can help make an impact in addressing related issues. The session on the Mental Health Act was also insightful and brought the discussion into the forefront. While the Act itself is a positive step, we need to focus on how the act can be used for the benefit of people with mental health problems. If lack of awareness is the issue, media such as cinema can help remove this barrier, given its reach.”
Speaking at the high-voltage session on cinema and mental health, Mr Prakash Jha, Award winning Film Producer, Director, and Actor, said that it is very fortunate for a filmmaker if he/she is able to bring out a certain issue in the course of telling a story. Films are definitely a strong medium to keep issues under discussion. Behavior or situations may not change if we make films about them. But we must keep talking about it through some media so that people do not push them under the carpet. And films are one such medium. Mental health is taking the center-stage globally and films made on the subject have been and are doing well.
Mr Mohan Agashe, Senior Psychiatrist and Film Actor, opined, “Films are perhaps the only medium that directly penetrate the unconscious and the subconscious alike. Cinema can depict reality in a way that no other source can. However, it is not possible for anyone to educate anyone else. Unless one decides to learn themselves and educate themselves, one cannot possibly force you to learn or understand anything. Similarly, films are a medium, but the real education and awareness has to happen at a more personal level.”
Other highlights of the day included sessions on Law and Mental Health: operationalizing the Mental Health Care Act 2017, mental health at the workplace and social work profession; burnout in mental health professionals and caregivers; and a practical workshop on using Kundalini Yoga to improve mental health outcomes. In the session on law and mental health, speakers deliberated on the issues associated with the implementation of this Act. The session focused on how the Mental Health Care Act, 2017 is a step in the right direction in ensuring that power is in the hands of people seeking care.
