Mindroot Foundation

Mindroot Foundation is a registered non-government organization under the Rajasthan Society Registration Act, 1958 wide registration number 565/Jaipu Read morer / 2016-17 dated 28 September 2016 founded by Dr D. S. Poonia, a psychiatrist aiming to serve the community in the field of Mental Health and address the stigma and discrimination associated with it.   “No one should be left untreated for mental health disorders because of lack of awareness or fear of the stigma.” - Dr D. S. Poonia, MD Psychiatry, AIIMS New Delhi, Founder, The Mindroot Foundation   Mental health problems are very common among people of all age groups. Despite that treatment gap for mental health is 70% to 90% (approximately 1 out of 10 affected people reach out for professional help). Lack of awareness about mental health disorders (including substance use disorder) and fear of social stigma are the leading factors for such a huge treatment gap.   This eventually results in personal, social, and work-life imbalances – thus resulting in poor quality of life. In extreme cases, – unfortunately more common than our expectations, it also leads to deaths by suicide.    We, at Mindroot Foundation, are determined to solve these problems by spreading awareness in society with the end goal of reducing stigma. We aim to abate this issue such that discussion and acceptance regarding mental health disorders are comfortable for both patients and members of society, akin to social and personal acceptance of other diseases like the common cold.   To achieve our goal, we have been running the following program since our establishment:  Programmatic Interventions: CHOPAL, an initiative for villages/rural/ slums/Kachhi Basti  Mindroot Foundation Psychiatry Award for the MBBS students of Rajasthan School Mental Health Programme Mobile Bus Clinic for Mental health Peripheral OPD and Free Consultation Mindroot Marathon: Run for Mental Health  Soot Mill Wellness Initiative Dhodhsar-Govindgarh Community Mental Health Intervention  Boot Camp  Family Hikes  IEC Activities    Mental illness is the most neglected health problem worldwide, especially in the developing world. The National Mental Health Survey in 2016 reported that around 17 Cr and another study in Lancet (2019) shows 19.7 Cr need active intervention. In the post-pandemic era, mental health issues are on the rise. A Lancet study in October 2021, reported a 35 per cent increase in mental health problems in India. The most contributing factors to the rise in mental health issues are the death of a loved one, loss of a job, staying away from home or family member, unemployment, financial losses, starvation, stigma   The consequence of the rise in mental health issues is reflected in the rise in the suicide rate. In November 2021, the government's National Crime Record Bureau (NCRB) annual report showed that suicides in India increased by an alarming 10 per cent in 2020 during the pandemic – nearly 400 Indians died by suicide each day in 2020.   Despite this, 80-90 per cent of those with mental illness in India received no treatment. The most contributing factors to not seeking help for mental health issues are the lack of awareness and associated stigma, lack of infrastructure and mental health professionals, less budget allocation for mental Health and policy implementation problems. We at Mindroot Foundation would say to the world that mental health issues or illnesses can happen to anyone, anywhere and anytime. The problem is that mental suffering is not visible as physical suffering, it can be felt and perceived in emphatic ways only. It’s not a sign of mental weakness and a person going through mental health issues needs your support, care and love along with professional help to recover from it similarly to in the case of physical illness. All of us need to be aware of the importance of mental health. This can be achieved by spreading awareness in society which in turn breaks the stigma associated with mental illnesses.