The National Health Mission, Assam, and the psychiatry department of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital jointly carried out a walkathon and cyclothon on Thursday morning to end the stigmatisation of mentallyill patients.

The event was observed to mark World Mental Health Day and focused on mental health promotion and suicide prevention.

The event was flagged off by Lakshmanan S, the mission director, National Health Mis¬sion, Assam, in the presence of other officials and partici¬pants in Gauhati Medical Col¬lege and Hospital.

Rajshree Barman, psychol¬ogist, National Mental Health Programme, said in compari¬son to the previous years, cases of suicide are increasing around the globe.

“It is also alarming in India as well as Assam. The severity is as such that every 40 sec¬onds, one person intends to commit suicide. We must make people aware of depres¬sion; for next stage of depres¬sion is suicide,” she said.

The walkathon started from the GMCH campus to Ulubari Flyover via GS Road while the cyclothon started from the GMCH premises to Ganeshguri via Nehru Stadi¬um, Silpukhuri and back.

The participants cheered through different slogans, dis¬playing placards on mental health.

According to the World Health Organisation, mental health is defined as a state of wellbeing in which every in¬dividual realises his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruit¬fully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his com¬munity.

The Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health (LGBRIMH), Tezpur, on Thursday ob¬served World Mental Health Day with the theme “Mental health promotion and suicide prevention” on the institute’s premises. It is to be mentioned here that LGBRIMH has being a standalone institute with a regional mandate for mental health which has been observing the World Mental Health Day every year.

The programme started with lighting of the inaugural lamp by noted social worker Dr Lakshmi Goswami.

Krishna Kemprai, joint director health services, Sonitpur district, Dipesh Bhagabati, retired professor of psychiatry, GMCH, S.K. Deuri, director, LGBRIMH, Tezpur, Sonia P. Deuri, professor of psychiatric social work, LGBRIMH besides Vijay Gogoi, associate professor of psychiatry of the LGBRIMH institute, were present on the occasion.

In Nagaland, the Mokokchung District Mental Health Programme and the Mokokchung District Legal Services Authority observed World Mental Health Day at Ongpangkong Salang, Mokokchung, on Thursday.

World Mental Health Day is observed to promote mental health, awareness about it and advocacy against any social stigma. It was first celebrated in 1992.at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health. It is a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries.

Additional reporting by Bhadra Gogoi in Kohima and our correspondent in Tezpur