The training is expected to bring together these professionals to place greater focus on mental health. The MH Gap training aims to empower healthcare workers with the knowledge and practical tools to identify, manage, and refer individuals living with mental health conditions both within the workplace and the wider community.
Chief Nursing Officer Kerthney Surage, who delivered the remarks at the opening ceremony of the Mental Health Action Gap Training Programme (MH Gap), underscored the significance of prioritising mental health support for healthcare workers.
“Under this project, we will be training about 100 healthcare workers in MH Gap. You are the first cohort of 50 participants. This training will empower you to provide high-quality care, reduce stigma, and improve healthcare outcomes for your colleagues’ individuals and families.”
The training is being facilitated by experts in Mental Health Care, including Dr. R.G. Swamy, a psychiatrist and consultant. In his address, he emphasised the importance of self-care among health professionals.
“We’re all in the health field, we all go through that stress, burnout, struggle, anxiety, trauma, depression, which we all talk about. I’ll be very happy if you can have these interactions. Maybe for some reason it may not be possible, but I still encourage, we should meet like this and talk about it, it can be very educational, we all learn from each other, and this will be very helpful.”
Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Sharon Belmar-George, speaking to the participants of the MH Gap training, stressed the importance of early intervention and capacity-building in the area of mental health care.
“So based on the gaps that we have seen, the increases in depression, in anxiety. We also note increases in substance use and abuse, especially in young women, which is new…there are things which, as a health system, we have to plan for.”
The MH Gap Training Programme covers essential topics such as assessment, diagnosis, and management of mental health conditions, while also emphasising communication skills and cultural sensitivity.