Deepika Padukone has officially been named India’s first-ever Mental Health Ambassador by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW). The announcement was made on World Mental Health Day and is a big step for India in focusing on mental health. The Ministry’s initiative aims to create support for mental health and encourage open talks about it, a topic often seen with stigma in India.
Recently, the actress and founder of Live Love Laugh (LLL) Foundation visited Chhindwara District in Madhya Pradesh. There, she shared a heartfelt video highlighting the importance of mental health.
Deepika, who has openly spoken about her own struggles with mental health, established the LLL Foundation in 2015. The foundation focuses on raising awareness and providing resources for people dealing with mental health challenges. In her new role, Deepika will work closely with the government to enhance mental health services and reduce societal stigma.
What Will Deepika Padukone Do As India’s Mental Health Ambassador
As India’s first Mental Health Ambassador, Deepika will focus on four key areas:
Promoting Awareness: Helping increase understanding of mental health issues across the country.
Reducing Stigma: Encouraging open dialogue to break taboos around mental health.
Advocating Accessible Care: Supporting initiatives like Tele MANAS, a national helpline offering mental health assistance.
Enhancing Support Systems: Collaborating on strategies to improve mental health services nationwide.
Expressing her gratitude, Deepika said, “On World Mental Health Day, I am deeply honoured to be appointed as the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare’s first-ever Mental Health Ambassador.” She also acknowledged government efforts, adding, “Under the leadership of our Hon. Prime Minister @narendramodi, our nation has taken meaningful steps to place mental health at the heart of public health.”
The news was widely celebrated by her fans and received negative comments from her haters. However, one fan revealed the impact of Deepika’s work and praised her. The comment read – “Make fun of her all you want, but years ago, when I was dealing with mental health problems, she was the only one creating awareness about it, and it helped decrease the taboo around it a lot for people around me. I could see a shift in how people perceived it differently from there on.”
Deepika’s Current Work
On the film front, Deepika recently stepped away from two major projects, Spirit and Kalki 2. However, she is keeping busy with Shah Rukh Khan’s King and Allu Arjun-Atlee’s AA22 X A6, much to the excitement of her fans.
