Innovations in Mental Health
28th & 29th March, 2025
Department of Psychological Sciences, FLAME University
About the conference
Mental health is a critical component of overall well-being, yet it remains a stigmatized and under-resourced area of healthcare in India. Despite recent advancements in mental health awareness and treatment, significant gaps persist between research and practical application. Addressing these gaps is essential for developing effective mental health interventions and policies tailored to India's unique socio-cultural context. This conference aims to outline a comprehensive approach to bridge the gap between mental health practitioners, researchers and policy makers. By fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange, we seek to enhance the efficacy of mental health care and contribute to the development of evidence-based practices and policies.
Important Dates
| Date of abstract submission | 15th December 2024 |
| Communication of acceptance | 10th January 2025 |
| Last date of registration | 30th January 2025 |
Sub Themes
1. Current Mental Health Scenario in India:
- Overview of mental health statistics and trends in India.
- Identification of prevalent mental health issues and their socio-economic impact.
- Examination of existing mental health infrastructure and services.
2. Challenges in Mental Health Practice and Research:
- Barriers to accessing mental health care.
- Stigma and cultural attitudes towards mental health.
- Disparities in mental health resources and services
- Gaps in mental health research and data collection
3. Innovative Practices and Research Initiatives:
- Case studies of successful mental health interventions across different contexts
- Recent advancements in mental health research
- Emerging technologies and their applications in mental health care
4. Collaborative Models and Partnerships:
- Frameworks for practitioner-researcher collaboration
- Role of governmental and non-governmental organizations
- Strategies for community engagement and public-private partnerships
5. Policy Implications and Recommendations:
- Policy recommendations to support integrated mental health services
- Advocacy for increased funding and resources for mental health
- Strategies for implementing evidence-based practices at the policy level
Abstract Submission Details and Portal
Original abstracts in English only can be submitted.
Abstract text including the keywords should not exceed 250 words. Abstract must contain no fewer than 4 keywords. Font size 12, Times New Roman, double line spacing in MS word format.
- Significance of the topic
- Objective(s)
- Materials/Methods
- Results/Main Findings
- Conclusion/Implications
Details of the author/s (Name, Organisation of affiliation, email address and phone number) must all be adequately specified.
Presentations must be indicated as ORAL or POSTER
Abstracts received after the due date will not be considered for submissions.
All abstracts that have cleared the review and have been accepted for the conference, will be published in the proceedings
The time for oral presentation is 15 minutes + 5 minutes for Q&A
To submit your abstracts, please click here.
Conference Fees
- Students – Rs 850/-
- Professionals – Rs 1800/-
The fees are inclusive of taxes.
Accommodation can be provided at an additional charge.
Limited bursaries available for students. Please contact us to know more.
For more information please write to us at:
Organizing Committee
Assistant Professor - Psychology
Assistant Professor - Psychology
Assistant Professor - Psychology
Assistant Professor - Psychology
Keynote Speakers
Soumitra Pathare is a psychiatrist and the Director of the Centre for Mental Health Law & Policy (CMHLP), Indian Law Society, Pune, India. His primary interests are in the areas of mental health policy, scaling up mental health services, suicide prevention, and rights-based care & legislation.
In the past, he has provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in drafting India’s new Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, which takes a rights-based approach to mental health care. He was a member of the Mental Health Policy Group appointed by the Government of India to draft India’s first National Mental Health Policy released in October 2014.
Soumitra has served as a WHO consultant in many low- and middle-income countries including Botswana, Seychelles, Lesotho, Samoa, Vanuatu & Eritrea, Guyana, Grenada among others, to assist them in drafting and implementing mental health legislation and national mental health policies.
He is currently the co-PI on multiple projects at CMHLP including suicide prevention projects such as Outlive, ENGAGE, SPIRIT and Contact and Safety Planning (CASP).
Soumitra has conceptualised and steered various innovative community-led mental health interventions and strongly believes all persons with mental illness should be able to fully participate in society, as everyone else!
KP/ Ketki Ranade (pronouns: they/ them) is faculty at the Center for Health and Mental Health, School of Social Work, TISS, Mumbai. KP's research, writing and teaching is in the areas of mental health law, policy, programmes and advocacy, LGBTQ mental health, clinical social work and research methodology.
KP is the author of 'Growing Up Gay - A critical psychosocial perspective', Springer (2018) and lead author of 'Queer Affirmative Counselling Practice - A Resource Book for Mental Health Practitioners in India', MHI (2022) as well as Trans Affirmative Mental Health Care Guidelines: results of a mixed-method inquiry in three cities of India (2023). They have edited a Special Issue of the Indian Journal of Social Work titled, Coming Out Of The Dark: Emerging Discourse On Queer Affirmative Mental Health Practice In India in 2022.
KP has served on committees of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, to develop status and planning documents for trans inclusion. They continue to advocate for queer and trans inclusion in institutions of higher education and mental health service spaces and curriculum.
Tanmoy is a user-survivor and creator of the independent mental health storytelling platform Sanity. He is a fellow of the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism,
University of Oxford; an advisor to the Centre for Global Mental Health; and a jury member for the Project SIREN Awards for responsible reporting on suicide. He has led the edit desks at Fortune India and The Economic Times Prime, and has been published in The Lancet Psychiatry, Business Insider, and The Mekong Review. As an expert on the intersection of lived experience and the media, Tanmoy has delivered lectures and workshops at Columbia University, the University of Amsterdam, and Sangath, among others, and contributed to WHO South-East Asia’s Kathmandu Charter for the rights of persons with lived experience. He is a winner of IE Business School, Madrid’s Asian Economic Journalism Prize and a LinkedIn Top Voice in Social Impact.
Fireside Chat
Ira is the founder and CEO of Agatsu. She has clinical depression since age 18 and was diagnosed in 2019. She is a Suicide Prevention Gatekeeping Instructor and a HAP counsellor at Agatsu and regularly conducts sessions on Emotional Hygiene, which is Agatsu’s primary proposal to society. She’s on the Steering Council of IMHA. Ira is also a passionate advocate of mental wellbeing in her personal capacity having done talks, panel discussions and podcasts.
The kindness of her heart is rivalled only by the fire of her spirit. She recognizes that human beings themselves are humanity’s greatest enemies when they are busying themselves not being its champions. Agatsu is her invitation to everyone to confront the unknown within and find their own truth.
AGATSU FOUNDATION
Agatsu is a not-for-profit company working in mental health and wellbeing. We have a community centre with various activities and events free of cost as well as a clinic that offers therapy at a sliding-scale.
We passionately believe in a holistic, nurturing and inquisitive approach towards mental wellbeing and a preventative approach towards mental health care.
Because mental health is more than mental health disorders...