Every year, October 10th commemorates World Mental Health Day,marking the need to increase awareness and spread sensitivity around issues concerning mental health. This year completed the twenty-fifth anniversary of the World Mental Health Day, which the Centre for Studies in Behavioural Sciences observed with great enthusiasm and fervour, and a month-long celebration in lieu of this milestone year has been planned. Addressing the WHO theme for this year, 'Mental Health in Workplace', the first day saw various posters prepared by the students of the Centre being displayed for the benefit of the university community. The highlight of the day saw the performance of street-plays by the students of the Centre to showcase ‘work-life interfaces’, conducted at various strategic locations around the university campus to garner support and awareness on the theme, and to reach a larger audience. The programme for the day was concluded with a discussion on the need for creating greater awareness on mental health issues and the challenges of destigmatising the issue among all members of the community. CSBS, DU, is spearheading the efforts aimed at creating awareness about mental health, especially in the workplace, and in day to day life, in general.
Moreover a talk on ‘Mental Health in the Workplace’ was organized by the Centre for Studies in Behavioural Sciences on October 13, 2017. The Resource Person invited for the programme, Dr. Kavery Bora, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Assam Medical College Hospital, presented a detailed account of the subject. Dr. Bora’s power-point presentation on the diverse aspects of mental health highlightedits impact on an individual’s overall health and well-being. Some of the areas emphasised by her were the need for and awareness about mental health first aid, work-life interface, and adequate sleep hygiene. An interactive session followed the talk where attendees actively participated in discussions with the Resource Person and the faculty members of the Centre.
The Centre had also organized a Poster Competition among the students of Dibrugarh University. Dr. Kavery Borah also graced the Poster Competition as a judge and lauded the participants for their in-depth and thought-provoking depiction of current-day concerns in the workplace. She presented the awards to the winners of the Poster Competition at the end of the programme. The day long programme ended with a vote of thanks proposed by Dr. Neeta Kalita Barua, Chairperson, Centre for Studies in Behavioural Sciences.