NIMHANS to organise a workshop on ‘Immediate Care for Handling Mental Health Crisis’ on June 1

NIMHANS workshop equips public to provide immediate mental health care, addressing day-to-day crises effectively. Register by May 29.

Recently, a 17-year-old class X student was scammed while playing an online rummy game resulting in a loss of ₹5 lakh from his father’s bank account. The devastated boy became extremely sad, anxious, and agitated. Filled by guilt and fear, he was unwilling to discuss the incident with his parents who were still unaware of what had happened. Although his friend wanted to provide support to the boy during the mental health crisis, he was unsure about how to help. 

To facilitate and equip people with the knowledge and skills to provide immediate care to those facing a mental health crisis, NIMHANS has now decided to step in. It will organise a workshop on “Immediate Care for Handling Mental Health Crisis” on June 1, aimed at equipping friends and family with the skills to listen, support, and reassure those in distress, said K.S. Meena, Professor and Head of the Department of Mental Health Education at NIMHANS.

Pointing out that there are hardly any training programmes in India conducted for the public on identifying and managing the day-to-day crises that people face, the doctor said most psychological first-aid programs deal with managing  severe mental disorders. In the wake of this, a unique initiative was adopted at NIMHANS from 2016. So far, more than 5,000 psychological first-aiders have been trained from all over the country, she said.

“Immediate care refers to prompt and effective support given to individuals experiencing a mental health crisis. This type of care is critical in stabilising the situation, providing initial support, and preventing the crisis from worsening. It involves recognising early signs of mental distress, offering empathetic support, and guiding individuals toward professional help if necessary. While it is not a long-term solution, it can be used by anyone, not just mental health professionals, and is an effective method for addressing distress, fear, or uncertainty,” she explained.

While people are often able to help those with severe mental health disorders by facilitating hospital visits or therapy, everyday mental health crises are frequently misunderstood and mishandled. “Unlike physical crises, such as bleeding or fractures, where immediate assistance is commonly known, the same level of public knowledge does not exist during mental health emergencies,” Dr. Meena said.

This workshop is ideal for teachers, students, volunteers, caregivers, health workers, and anyone interested in providing initial support during mental health crises. Attendees have to pay a fee of ₹500.

The workshop will be conducted from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at  Seminar Hall 1, Department of Mental Health Education, Dr. M.V. Govindaswamy Building at NIMHANS. People can register at https://forms.gle/Q8zzqhpwYpDsReNW7 by May 29. Details can be had on 080-26995156 or mheducation.nimhans@gmail.com