‘Mental health as important as physical health’

Patna:

Students and teachers of Magadh Mahila College on Tuesday participated in an interactive session on mental health awareness, jointly organised by the college’s psychology department and the Indian Red Cross Society.

College principal N P Verma presided.Addressing the participants, head of mental illness department at Nalanda Medical College Hospital Dr Santosh Kumar, highlighted the importance of understanding mental health issues in the present-day stressful environment. He observed that mental health is as important as physical health and discussed the significance of early diagnosis, empathy and societal acceptance.Dr Vinod Bhanti, Dr Sudhir Gupta and Dr Mukul Kumar Singh of Red Cross Society encouraged the young students to become advocates of mental well-being initiatives and champion the humanitarian causes.MMC psychology department head Namrata introduced the theme of the discussion and emphasised the need for open conversation on mental health issues among the youths.On the occasion, the participants shared their thoughts and queries about managing stress and anxiety and maintaining emotional balance.