Deepika Padukone has been appointed as India's first Mental Health Ambassador by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. This is a step taken by the ministry for raising awareness about access to mental health services in the country.
Speaking about the step, Deepika 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.”
J.P. Nadda, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, said that Deepika's involvement as a national advocate will help focus attention on mental health and encourage people to seek timely support through government-approved mental health resources. "The partnership with 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," he stated.
Deepika will be closely working with the ministry to raise mental health awareness, promote de-stigmatisation efforts, encourage help-seeking behaviour and preventive efforts, and promote Tele MANAS (Tele-Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States), and other government-approved mental health resources
Deepika recently posted a video of visiting Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh, on World Mental Health Day. The actor’s organisation, LLL Foundation, has been working for the past 10 years to spread awareness about mental health.
On the work front, the actor was last seen in Rohit Shetty’s cop-drama actioner, Singham Again. She is currently shooting for Shah Rukh Khan’s King, which is being helmed by Siddharth Anand.
