About - Mann Mela - Museum of Mental Health Stories

Mann Mela is a museum about young people’s mental health stories from India.

Understanding the Problem

India has the world’s largest population of young people ages 10-24 and mental health problems are the leading health concern for this group. Today, the systemic lack of investment in young people’s mental health has caused a serious crisis in India, which has the highest number of youth suicides globally, and where less than 10% of youth have access to any mental health care.

Gender and sexuality-based discrimination, socially conservative attitudes that prohibit romantic relationships and marriage across castes and religion, pressure to perform well academically, caste-based harassment, and sexual abuse are among the diverse reasons for young people’s poor mental health.

There is an absence of forums for dialogue or help-seeking options set in a grossly inadequate professional mental healthcare system. This is further compounded by a fundamental lack of awareness on mental health and stigma attached to problems or illnesses, resulting in more silence, secrecy and suffering.

Our Strategy

Our strategy is simple. We believe that telling our personal stories about mental health can help create a world where no young people are left behind because of mental health problems.

Lived experience at the center

We believe that those with lived experience should drive the conversation on improving mental health. Mann Mela involves youth with lived experience at every stage of our work.

Leveraging digital media

Each story is presented using an art and technology-assisted exhibit.

Partners

Ya_all

Youth for mental health

Lonepack

Samaritans Mumbai

Yuvaa

Mental Health Talks India

Invisible Illness

Teen4Teens

An initiative by

Creative Partner

Supported by

It’s Ok To Talk is a public engagement program set up in 2016 that works through new media and the arts, community-based events, training and leadership building and social media campaigns to highlight young people’s lived experiences of mental health needs, and build their capacities to address mental health challenges.

Sangath, E-5, Lane 1,
Western Marg, Saiyad ul ajaib,
Saket 110030, New Delhi, India

info@itsoktotalk.in

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All the information on this website is published in good faith and for general information purpose only. The opinions, beliefs and views expressed by the various storytellers on our website are personal to the storytellers and do not necessarily represent those of Mann Mela, It’s Ok To Talk and Sangath or official policies of Sangath. Any content provided by our storytellers are their own opinion and are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, community, company or individual.

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This website includes stories and descriptions of mental health challenges including depression, anxiety and suicide. Therefore, some contents may be upsetting or trigger an adverse reaction. Reader discretion is advised..

Telling one’s personal story has a long tradition of being a powerful tool for enabling people to understand and empathize with the other, with humanity, and ultimately with oneself.