GUWAHATI, Oct 10 - World Mental Health Day is observed every year on October 10 and to mark the occasion, an awareness walkathon and a cyclothon were organised at Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) today.
This year�s theme is �Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention�.
The event was jointly organised by the National Health Mission, Assam and the Psychiatry Department, GMCH.
The event was flagged off by Dr Lakshmanan S, Mission Director, NHM, Assam in the presence of other officials and participants.
The participants actively took part in the event by holding various placards with messages on mental health issues and calling for ending the stigmatization of mentally-ill patients.
The walkathon started from the GMCH campus to Ulubari flyover via GS Road and back, and the cyclothon started from the GMCH campus to Ganeshguri via the Nehru Stadium, Silpukhuri and back.
During the activities, the participants cheered through different slogans. Mental health refers to one�s cognitive, behavioural and emotional wellbeing � it is all about how one thinks, feels and behaves. The term �mental health� also means an absence of a mental disorder.
Mental health can affect daily life, relationships and even physical health. Mental health also includes a person�s ability to enjoy life - to attain a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience.
According to experts, one can develop good mental health by having a healthy diet, establishing a healthy relationship with well-wishers, avoiding substance abuse like alcohol, drugs, etc., regular exercise, having proper sleep and indulging in entertainment that improves one�s mental health.
