Overview

It’s OK To Talk is a youth-focused public engagement programme set up by Sangath in 2016 to build mental health awareness and address stigma among young people. The program leverages sharing of lived experience narratives, the arts, and digital media across a variety of initiatives. 

These include:

• It’s Ok To Talk: A campaign and website platform to build awareness about mental health through narratives of young people. www.itsoktotalk.in

• Mann Mela: A multimedia web museum of young people’s stories, videos, and psychoeducation materials. www.mannmela.in

• DIYouth Advocacy: A do-it-yourself toolkit created with youth and aimed at empowering youth to advocate for mental health rights. www.diyouthadvocacy.in

• Outlive: A suicide prevention program for young people through awareness building, peer support, and advocacy training. www.outlive.in 

• Baatcheet: A research program to develop a web-based storytelling intervention to reduce anxiety, depression, and social disability among youth. 

Rationale

India has the world’s largest population of young people ages 10-24 and mental health problems are the leading health concern for this group. Lack of awareness and stigma around mental health prevent young people from getting the care they need.

Progress till date

This program has now reached 8500+ youth directly through 112 community events and workshops; worked with 294 advisors and co-design participants, trained 73 youth advocates in mental health leadership, and reached more than 27 million users on social media. 

In 2019, It’s OK To Talk was recognized as one of Facebook's 10 most prominent international youth mental health campaigns and included in a Facebook-led donation campaign.

It's OK to Talk initiated by Baatcheet in 2022 is a two-year-long research program to design, develop, and pilot a web-based storytelling intervention intended to reduce anxiety, depression, and social disability among youth aged 16-24 years.