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The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) has appointed actress Deepika Padukone as India’s first Mental Health Ambassador. The move is seen as a bid to strengthen India’s mental health support system and promote open conversations about well-being.

Why did Centre pick Deepika Padukone as Mental Health Ambassador?

Deepika Padukone has been open about her mental health struggles in the past. She has also been actively promoting conversations about mental health through the Live Love Laugh Foundation. She will work with the ministry to spread awareness on mental health, organise de-stigmatisation programmes and promote government initiatives like Tele MANAS.

“The partnership with Deepika Padukone will help widely disseminate awareness about mental health issues in India, normalise discussions to reduce stigma, and highlight mental health as an integral aspect of public health,” said Union Minister JP Nadda.

Deepika shared an image in which she was seen having a conversation with minister Nadda and Punya Salila Srivastava, who is the Secretary, Department of Health & Family Welfare (DoHFW) of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. “On World Mental Health Day, I am deeply honoured to be appointed as the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare’s first-ever Mental Health Ambassador,” the actress wrote in the caption.

Marking Mental Health Day, Deepika on Friday shared he mental health struggles and how she inspired people. “I still remember that first meeting in my home at the dining table. It was just the three of us — myself, Dr Shyam, and Anna Chandy — who were also the people I went to when I was seeking help. I called them over, and we sat together, and I said, ‘I want to do something for mental health in India’,” she told CNBC-TV18.

“All I know is that it was a deeply personal experience, and just going public with my experience was not enough. I knew very early on that this was something I wanted to share with the world, but also to do something more,” she added.