SJU hosts open mic to promote mental health awareness

DIMAPUR — An open mic event on the theme ‘Mental health matters’ was organised at the premises of St. John College (SJU), Dimapur, by Mental Health Mentors and students’ well-being and peer counselling committee of the college.

According to a press note, the event was held in collaboration with the Carl Rogers Institute of Mental Health and School Counselling, Kohima, on Wednesday.

It was a continuation of the committee’s annual tradition of commemorating World Mental Health Day and the committee’s commitment to promoting mental health.

The event included a variety of performances from the institution’s students, including a skit, motivational speech, poem recitation, storytelling, and musical performances, all of which addressed the theme of the programme.

The event’s resource persons were Daewon Nongrem, founder of Mental Health Mentors and sports psychologist with the department of Youth Resources and Sports, and Kezhazolie Cornelius Mere, chairman of the Carl Rogers Institute of Mental Health and School Counselling.

In his keynote address, Nongrem highlighted the stigmas associated with mental illnesses and how they prevent people living with such illnesses from seeking help. His interactions with the participants helped to reveal many of the misconceptions about mental health, which he then dispelled.

Kezhazolie Cornelius Mere stressed the importance of seeking professional help when suffering from a mental illness. He also described signs of mental illnesses that can be used to identify those who are suffering from them.

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