New Delhi: Bollywood actor and mental health advocate Deepika Padukone has been appointed as the first-ever Mental Health Ambassador by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).
The announcement was made on World Mental Health Day, October 10, and is seen as a landmark step towards creating a stronger and more supportive mental health ecosystem in India. Dig in for more details.
Deepika Padukone appointed as first Mental Health Ambassador
Deepika Padukone, who is also the founder of The Live Love Laugh (LLL) Foundation, will work with the Ministry to raise awareness, fight stigma, and promote access to mental health resources such as Tele MANAS — the national tele-mental health helpline. She will also collaborate on strategic interventions to ensure equitable care across the country.
Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda praised the partnership, saying, “The partnership with Ms 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.”
Expressing gratitude for the role, Padukone said, “I am deeply honoured to serve as the first-ever Mental Health Ambassador for the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has made significant strides in prioritising mental health care. I look forward to working closely with the Ministry to build on this momentum and further strengthen our nation’s mental health framework.”
The appointment comes as The Live Love Laugh Foundation completes 10 years of work in the mental health space. Over the past decade, the foundation has helped more than 21,900 people with mental illness and their caregivers in rural areas across 15 districts in eight states. It has also run major campaigns like “Dobara Poocho” and “#NotAshamed”, school programs such as “You Are Not Alone”, and training for doctors. Recently, it also launched a corporate mental health program.
This move by the Ministry is expected to significantly boost public awareness, encourage help-seeking behaviour, and integrate mental health into India’s larger public health vision.