Namchi District Conducts Multi-Stakeholder Consultation on Community Mental Health Programme

The event was organised by the Health and Family Welfare Department, Sikkim INSPIRES, under the auspices of the District Administrative Centre Namchi, in collaboration with the Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, Pune.

The consultation had the presence of Ms Anupa Tamling DC Namchi, Mr Subash Ghimirey ADC (HQ), Dr C P Rai ADC (Dev), Mr Nim Pintsho Bhutia SDM (HQ), Dr S N Adhikari CMO, Heads of various line departments, stakeholders, school principals and teachers, as well as the CMHLP team from Pune, including Ms Jasmine Kalha, Ms Neeraja Auti, and Mr Nitish Narkhedkar.

Ms Anupa Tamling DC Namchi, provided valuable insights into the various stressors affecting the region. In addition to highlighting key findings from the scoping exercises, she emphasized the importance of identifying other factors that may contribute to mental health challenges.

She encouraged attendees to actively explore these additional stressors to better address and mitigate mental health issues within the region.

Ms Neeraja Auti, Monitoring & Evaluation Manager of the Atmiyata Intervention, presented several significant findings regarding the current mental health landscape in Namchi.

She identified major stressors contributing to mental health challenges, including family pressures, substance abuse, and the stigma surrounding mental health. She further explained that these stressors significantly influence the well-being of individuals within the community.

She also highlighted the programme’s primary objective of raising awareness about mental health issues and promoting interventions aimed at improving mental health support and services in the area.

Ms Jasmine Kalha Co-lead of the Atmiyata Intervention, provided an overview of the ‘Atmiyata’ initiative. This community-led mental health and social care intervention targets rural areas, using non-specialised community volunteers to identify, support, and refer individuals with mental health concerns, including those with common mental disorders.

She outlined the intervention’s aim to empower local communities in managing mental health issues.

During the consultation, representatives from various associations and departments shared their perspectives on additional stressors affecting individuals and suggested measures to cope with these challenges.

An important activity during the programme was a stakeholder mapping exercise, which helped enhance the understanding of the key stakeholders required for the Atmiyata intervention.

The discussion also focused on creating safe spaces to foster open conversations about mental health and explore preventative strategies.