Aditya Birla Group and Mpower an initiative of Aditya Birla Education Trust runs in Support of Mental Health Awareness at Tata Mumbai Marathon 2023
Led by Dr Neerja Birla Founder, Chairperson Aditya Birla Education Trust,
a total of 300 Psychiatrists, Counsellors, Therapists and employees from
both organisations participated in the Dream Run to create awareness
and stamp out the stigma associated with mental health
With the objective of spreading awareness about mental health and destigmatise conversations around mental health, over 300 employees of Mpower an initiative of Aditya Birla Education Trust, a mental health social enterprise, and the Aditya Birla Group hit the tracks today at the Tata Marathon. The 300-strong squad led by Dr Neerja Birla, Founder and Chairperson Aditya Birla Education Trust comprised of counsellors, psychiatrists, mental health experts and employees from Mpower and all divisions of Aditya Birla Education Trust along with employees and top leaders from the Aditya Birla Group. They participated in the Open 10K and the 5.9 km Dream Run at the marathon which is one of Asia’s largest mass-participation sporting events. Mpower hosted a motivational zone at Marine Drive opposite Hotel Intercontinental where students of BK Birla School performed on the Mpower mental health anthem and enacted a street play to further raise awareness on mental health and the need to seek professional help.
The funds raised through the marathon will be used to help people who do not have easy access to mental health support and will also provide on-ground mental health interventions to the economically weaker sections of society through projects that Mpower runs under Samvedna and Oorja.
Dr. Neerja Birla, Mental Health Champion & Founder and Chairperson of Mpower said, “I am truly thankful to my colleagues at Mpower and our peers at the Aditya Birla Group who have chosen to champion the cause of mental health. I am immensely encouraged to see that mental well-being is slowly but surely becoming part of the mainstream conversation at personal, societal and media levels. We chose this cause at a marathon to create awareness that in addition to physical fitness, one’s mental health also has a huge impact on one’s productivity, relationships, social engagement and personal achievements.”
As per the WHO, one in eight people suffer from some form of mental health condition. 14% of India’s population lives with mental health challenges (Lancet, 2019). As per the NHMS 2016 survey, the treatment gap in India for mental health disorders is between 72%-92%. Mental health has been among the leading causes of health burden worldwide since the 1990s and the incidence of mental health illnesses has increased due to COVID-19 pandemic. According to a recent WHO report, in India over 80% people do not seek psychiatric help as they face shame, workplace disadvantage, prejudice and embarrassment from society.
Mpower provides support and counselling to individuals and their families from all walks of life by creating awareness, fostering education and alleviating stigma vis-à-vis mental health. The organisation runs a 24×7, Toll-free helpline in collaboration with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). The helpline #LETSTALK1ON1-1800 120 820050 has touched over millions of lives by creating access to mental health counselling through its various services. In addition to the helpline, MPower Clinical Centres are located in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata & Pune. To date, the helpline has received over 99,452 calls and provided access to mental health counselling to millions of people through its services.