The 10th of October is observed every year as “World Mental Health Day” worldwide. The CSBS has been doing its part over the years in promoting mental health awareness in the community every year. WHO has focused on various relevant mental health issues on this occasion over the years; and this year the WHO theme was “YOUNG PEOPLE AND MENTAL HEALTH IN A CHANGING WORLD”. The Centre for Studies in Behavioural Sciences (CSBS), Dibrugarh University also decided to be a part of the world-wide call for creating awareness on the theme for this year, and celebrated World Mental Health Day 2018 over a two-day period, starting on 10th of October 2018.
Keeping in view the theme for this year, the CSBS organized a series of events to create awareness in the society around us so as to promote mental health and fight the stigma associated with mental illness. The day long program started off with the inauguration of the first issue of the newsletter ‘AADYA’ by the Honorable Vice Chancellor of Dibrugarh University in his Office. The inaugural issue of AADYA includes articles from various renowned mental health professionals from across the country and by the International Scholar of the Centre. This was followed by a plantation drive in the Centre, and flagging of the Awareness Rally by the Dean, School of Education. Moreover, the students designed and distributed pamphlets on various issues pertaining to mental health amongst the various Departments and Centres within the campus during the rally.
Among the varied and diverse activities undertaken for this year, the Centre organized inter-departmental Poster-making and Quiz competitions amongst the different Centre’s and the Departments of the University, besides performing street plays in strategic locations of the DU Campus, viz., DU Haat, DU model school etc., on various issues that the youth of today deal with on a day-to-day basis due to modernization and influence of technology and social media etc. The two–day program ended on Thursday, 11th October 2018, with the distribution of the prizes of the Poster-making and Quiz competition. This was followed by an open discussion and reflections on the need for such dedicated and regular activities by the students and teachers of the Centre.
