Vh1 India presents groundbreaking campaign for mental health awareness

Vh1 and Cryosis present: #EndTheStigma Mental Health Campaign

Vh1 India is teaming up with the band Cryosis, psychologist Sonali Gupta and Youth for Mental Health to present the #EndTheStigma campaign for Mental Awareness in India

Starting Monday July 13, and ending Friday July 17, Vh1 India is teaming up with the band Cryosis, psychologist Sonali Gupta and Youth for Mental Health to present the #EndTheStigma campaign for Mental Awareness in India. Awareness partners include Abish Mathew, Dr. Judy Ho, DJ Tommie Sunshine, and other celebrities, musicians and mental health professionals helping share and amplify the message. 

These shocking statistics tell a very clear story about the state of affairs around mental health in India:

United States has 100.74 Mental Health Professionals per 100,000 people. 

India has 0.426 Mental Health Professionals per 100,000 people.

As stats indicate, in India, discussing mental health and seeking help for it still carries a stigma. Vh1’s and Cryosis’ stand is to end this stigma surrounding mental health in India, so that people can get the help that they need. People do not need to suffer in silence, unable to speak out or have the right resources when they do. 

The campaign will consist of three parts throughout the week:

1) Social media campaign where Vh1 fans can create their selfie filter/frame on their Instagram stories standing for mental health awareness. They will then be compiled and turned into a fan video by Cryosis. 

2) Facebook Live on Vh1 India’s Facebook page On Friday June 17 at 4pm with psychologist Sonali Gupta opening up the conversation about mental health, where fans can send in their questions

3) Distribution of mental health resources - numbers to call, websites to go to -via Instagram Slideshow Posts, Facebook and Web.

The mental health awareness campaign was inspired by a song written by Mumbai based band Cryosis. “Breathe speaks about our own individual journeys with mental health. It inspired us to approach VH1 with the idea of creating a campaign around Ending The Stigma. We are extremely grateful to have VH1 present this.”

“We think it's amazing for VH1 to use its powerful platform to start a conversation about mental health in India. We hope this is the beginning that will see many brands, companies and celebrities stepping up to use their platforms to EndTheStigma. We want conversations about mental health to be as normalised in India, as they are the world over.”

Throughout the week, Vh1 and their sharing partners will encourage fans to create and post their own selfie filter on their stories showing their support for mental health awareness (pictured below). Additionally, slideshow posts will be created, which with a simple swipe, fans will be able to see the phone numbers and resources throughout India which are there to serve them. At the end of the week, the selfies will be set to the music of “Breathe” showing the larger community in India coming together for mental health. 

Youth for Mental Health, a youth-based organization working for the advancement of mental health, has had more than 4,000 students register for its advancement of mental health initiatives in 200 colleges across 80 cities. They are one of the most powerful forces on social media and throughout colleges for mental health awareness in India, and will lead the charge of sharing the entire campaign across social channels.  

Additionally, they will be creating interactive workshops, providing mental health resources and hosting live sessions on social media to further their mission: Providing support for the mental well-being of young people, and to equip them with resources to become the change-makers advocating for the promotion of mental health to all sections and members of Indian society.

On Friday June 17, Dr. Sonali Gupta will take the reins at Vh1 India’s Facebook page of over 3.5 million fans, hosted by members of Cryosis, giving some people the first opportunity to see and communicate with a psychologist, and to help remove any stigma or mystery associated with what a psychologist provides. 

Dr. Sonali Gupta says “The process of ending the stigma around mental health would lead to better access to mental health and definitely more and more people reaching out for help from both a curative and preventive lens. This could help end the needless suffering many people go through because they don't feel the freedom to ask for that help.”

Throughout the week, Vh1 and its partners will be requesting that fans, celebrities and musicians share the message so that together we can create a breakthrough in the conversation around mental health. Mental Health should not have to “be in the closet” anymore.