United We Care, an app-based platform that integrates social, mental, and legal support systems for men, women, youth and children, and the LGBTQ community, has launched a campaign called ‘#TimeToOpenUp’ ahead of the World Mental Health Day on 10th October 2020.
The campaign will comprise of a series of initiatives including awareness posts displaying the Green Ribbon tag on social media, interesting discussions, and a panel with experts.
According to The Lancet, depression is the leading cause of mental health-related disease burden globally, affecting an estimated 300 million people worldwide. The proportional contribution of mental disorders to the total disease burden in India has almost doubled since 1990 and the recent pandemic has exacerbated this situation further.
United We Care’s campaign assumes importance in this light since it will raise awareness around removing stigma, and being empathetic towards people with this condition. The brand wants to ensure that mental health remains a subject of discussion and help in finding solutions to the crisis going forward as well.
Speaking about this, Shumita Kakkar, Founder, and CEO, United We Care, said, “The importance of mental health awareness has multiplied today, especially due to the uncertainty of the ongoing pandemic. As a startup working in this area, it only seemed pertinent to launch the campaign #TimeToOpenUp’ with the help of like-minded stakeholders and through initiatives that connect with the masses.”
“We must care for mental health as much as any other issue, and give it the same priority as physical health. Only when there is scope for people to open up will there be more conversations around these conditions and removal of stigma,” she added.
From the comfort of your own home, you can connect with a mental health professional via phone or chat. App coming soon! #MentalHealthMatters #MentalHealthSupport #OnlineSupport pic.twitter.com/hAz1w3L8yw
— United We Care (@unitedwecare_ca) October 8, 2020
A high-power panel discussion is being organized as a part of this initiative. The interactive sessions will focus on the importance of counseling, overcoming mental health challenges, the importance of mental wellness, among other aspects.
The brand has brought together influencers, entrepreneurs, and experts such as Sarvesh Shashi, CEO and Founder, SARVA Yoga; Tanya Patel, Counselling Psychologist; and Nina Kler, Well-being Crusader, and Mental Health Advocate, among others. They will share their views as also answer questions around mental health.
Apart from raising awareness around mental health issues, which is the first step, United We Care’s campaign aims to help people understand and recognize signs of these conditions. Open conversations can happen only when the stigma is removed and people facing these issues are able to open up to others without the fear of being judged.
United We Care is a ground-breaking initiative that doesn’t focus only on the problem, but rather on the root causes and provides holistic solutions to its users. It aims to be the support system that is usually missing in the fast-paced digital world of the day. It is the first brand that is going ahead to create a sensitized and valuable support system for the help seekers.
The start-up is also investing in a virtual health AI-based assistant – Stella whose purpose is to turn negative feelings into positive conversations. Stella is more advanced than many other such bots present in the American market and has no rivals operating in the Indian market.
Going beyond the typical bots that greet users before offering to connect them to an expert, Stella is envisaged to converse with them, understand how they are feeling and provide inputs or suggestions based on their past data.
Among other things, the campaign will see over 200 psychologists, lawyers, life coaches, and other experts raising awareness on mental health by tagging their posts with a Green Ribbon
