The Live Love Laugh Foundation

Last updated
The Live Love Laugh Foundation
Founded2014
Founder Deepika Padukone
TypeCommunity Service
Focus Mental health
Location
Key people
Anna Chandy, [1] Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Dr. ShyamK. Bhat, Anirban Das Blah, Nina Nair [2]
Website www.thelivelovelaughfoundation.org

The Live Love Laugh Foundation is a non-profit organization that deals with mental health issues. [3] It was founded in 2015 by Deepika Padukone as a non-profit NGO to bring awareness to mental health in India. In 2016, the organization launched a program called "You Are Not Alone". [4] Facebook is working with the organization to prevent suicides from being livestreamed. [5] [6]

Contents

Focus

The Foundation focuses on the following objectives:

The focus of the Live Love Laugh Foundation is to reduce the stigma that surrounds mental health. The foundation spreads awareness and changes the way people look at mental health in general. It provides a platform that enables people who are seeking help to learn more information and connect with mental health professionals. People are able to share and hear others' stories of their own experiences with mental health. [7]

Founder and background

The Live Laugh Love Foundation was founded by Indian actress Deepika Padukone, who had spoken about her experience with depression, along with a board of trustees. [8] Padukone created this foundation to bring more awareness to mental health and to reduce the stigma of it in India. Padukone said she decided to create this foundation is because, "In India, 90 percent of people who suffer from depression don't seek help." [9] Padukone uses social media as a tool to encourage others to share their personal experiences/stories with mental illness, using the hashtag, #NotAshamed. The year after Padukone founded the Live Love Laugh Foundation, she launched a campaign called "More Than Just Sad" to assist general physicians in properly treating patients with depression or anxiety. Padukone is also the brand ambassador for the NGO Indian Psychiatric Society, which is the largest association of Indian psychiatrists. [10]

There are currently only 3,500 psychiatrists in India, with even fewer psychologists. This makes a ratio of three psychiatrists to every million people. India has the highest rate of depression at 36%, as well as the highest suicide rate of any country in the world. [11]

There are many challenges that people in India face regarding mental health and its stigma. In India, mental illness is seen as a disability and those with a mental illness are discriminated against. It is common for families to be against seeking help for any sort of mental health issue. [12] A sense of denial is another challenge. People may think they are in control of helping themselves which limits them from reaching out to others for help. Receiving therapy is seen as a weakness so it is not common to get help from professionals. Along with this, insurance does not cover issues with mental health, which adds to why people will not seek professional help. Another challenge the people of India face is limited education on mental health. In rural areas, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder is seen as demon possession. [13]

Funding

This is a non-profit organization. It is currently being funded by sponsors and volunteers who are able to give their time or others who are able to make donations. Anyone who chooses to donate can also specify where they would like their donation to go. The donations can go specifically to the school program, the rural program, or to the foundation in general. [14]

Related Research Articles

A mental disorder, also referred to as a mental illness, a mental health condition, or a psychiatric disability, is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is also characterized by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotional regulation, or behavior, often in a social context. Such disturbances may occur as single episodes, may be persistent, or may be relapsing–remitting. There are many different types of mental disorders, with signs and symptoms that vary widely between specific disorders. A mental disorder is one aspect of mental health.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shame</span> Affect, emotion, cognition, state or condition

Shame is an unpleasant self-conscious emotion often associated with negative self-evaluation; motivation to quit; and feelings of pain, exposure, distrust, powerlessness, and worthlessness.

A therapist is a person who offers any kinds of therapy. Therapists are trained professionals in the field of any types of services like psychologists, social workers, counsellors, etc. They are helpful in counseling individuals for various mental and physical issues.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Depression (mood)</span> State of low mood and aversion to activity

Depression is a mental state of low mood and aversion to activity. It affects more than 280 million people of all ages. Depression affects a person's thoughts, behavior, feelings, and sense of well-being. Depressed people often experience loss of motivation or interest in, or reduced pleasure or joy from, experiences that would normally bring them pleasure or joy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mental health</span> Level of human psychological well-being

Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. According to World Health Organization (WHO), it is a "state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and can contribute to his or her community". It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health includes subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential, among others. From the perspectives of positive psychology or holism, mental health may include an individual's ability to enjoy life and to create a balance between life activities and efforts to achieve psychological resilience. Cultural differences, personal philosophy, subjective assessments, and competing professional theories all affect how one defines "mental health". Some early signs related to mental health difficulties are sleep irritation, lack of energy, lack of appetite, thinking of harming oneself or others, self-isolating, and frequently zoning out.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beyond Blue</span> Australian mental health and wellbeing support organisation

Beyond Blue is an Australian mental health and wellbeing support organisation. They provide support programs to address issues related to depression, suicide, anxiety disorders and other related mental illnesses.

Social stigma is the disapproval of, or discrimination against, an individual or group based on perceived characteristics that serve to distinguish them from other members of a society. Social stigmas are commonly related to culture, gender, race, socioeconomic class, age, sexual orientation, sexuality, body image, physical disability, intelligence or lack thereof, and health. Some stigma may be obvious, while others are known as concealable stigmas that must be revealed through disclosure. Stigma can also be against oneself, stemming from negatively viewed personal attributes in a way that can result in a "spoiled identity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deepika Padukone</span> Indian actress (born 1986)

Deepika Padukone is an Indian actress who works predominantly in Hindi films. She is India's highest-paid actress, as of 2023, and her accolades include three Filmfare Awards. She features in listings of the nation's most popular personalities; Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2018 and awarded her the Time100 Impact Award in 2022.

Mental health in China is a growing issue. Experts have estimated that about 130 million adults living in China are suffering from a mental disorder. The desire to seek treatment is largely hindered by China's strict social norms, as well as religious and cultural beliefs regarding personal reputation and social harmony.

Mental disorders are classified as a psychological condition marked primarily by sufficient disorganization of personality, mind, and emotions to seriously impair the normal psychological and often social functioning of the individual. Individuals diagnosed with certain mental disorders can be unable to function normally in society. Mental disorders may consist of several affective, behavioral, cognitive and perceptual components. The acknowledgement and understanding of mental health conditions has changed over time and across cultures. There are still variations in the definition, classification, and treatment of mental disorders.

Mental distress or psychological distress encompasses the symptoms and experiences of a person's internal life that are commonly held to be troubling, confusing or out of the ordinary. Mental distress can potentially lead to a change of behavior, affect a person's emotions in a negative way, and affect their relationships with the people around them.

Global mental health is the international perspective on different aspects of mental health. It is 'the area of study, research and practice that places a priority on improving mental health and achieving equity in mental health for all people worldwide'. There is a growing body of criticism of the global mental health movement, and has been widely criticised as a neo-colonial or "missionary" project and as primarily a front for pharmaceutical companies seeking new clients for psychiatric drugs.

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) was established in the U.S. in 1990 recognition of efforts by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to educate and increase awareness about mental illness. It takes place every year during the first full week of October. During this week, mental health advocates and organizations across the U.S. join to sponsor events to promote community outreach and public education concerning mental illnesses such as major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. Examples of activities held during the week include art/music events, educational sessions provided by healthcare professionals and individuals with lived experience and/or familial lived experience, advertising campaigns, health fairs, prayer services, movie nights, candlelight vigils, and benefit runs.

The Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) is the oldest professional association of psychiatrists in India. Founded during the 34th Indian Science Congress, IPS replaced the Indian division of the Royal Medico-Psychological Association.

Mental illnesses, also known as psychiatric disorders, are often inaccurately portrayed in the media. Films, television programs, books, magazines, and news programs often stereotype the mentally ill as being violent, unpredictable, or dangerous, unlike the great majority of those who experience mental illness. As media is often the primary way people are exposed to mental illnesses, when portrayals are inaccurate, they further perpetuate stereotypes, stigma, and discriminatory behavior. When the public stigmatizes the mentally ill, people with mental illnesses become less likely to seek treatment or support for fear of being judged or rejected by the public. However, with proper support, not only are most of those with psychiatric disorders able to function adequately in society, but many are able to work successfully and make substantial contributions to society.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vikram Patel</span>

Vikram Harshad Patel FMedSci is an Indian psychiatrist and researcher best known for his work on child development and mental disability in low-resource settings. He is the Co-Founder and former Director of the Centre for Global Mental Health at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), Co-Director of the Centre for Control of Chronic Conditions at the Public Health Foundation of India, and the Co-Founder of Sangath, an Indian NGO dedicated to research in the areas of child development, adolescent health and mental health. Since 2024, he has been the Paul Farmer Professor and Chair of the Department of Global Health and Social Medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, where he was previously the Pershing Square Professor of Global Health and Social Medicine. He was awarded a Wellcome Trust Principal Research Fellowship in 2015. In April 2015, he was listed as one of the world's 100 most influential people by TIME magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bassey Ikpi</span> Nigerian spoken word poet

Bassey Ikpi is a Nigerian-born American spoken-word artist, writer, and mental health advocate. She has appeared on HBO's Russell Simmons Presents Def Poetry five times and her poetry has opened shows for Grammy Award-winning artists. She's also the New York Times bestselling author of I'm Telling The Truth But I'm Lying. In 2020 she judged the Indiana Review Creative Nonfiction Prize. She also features on the OkayAfrica's 100 Women campaign 2020 honoree list, which celebrates women building infrastructure for future African generations.

Suicide awareness is a proactive effort to raise awareness around suicidal behaviors. It is focused on reducing social stigmas and ambiguity by bringing attention to suicide statistically and sociologically, and by encouraging positive dialogue and engagement to prevent suicide. Suicide awareness is linked to suicide prevention as both address suicide education and the dissemination of information to ultimately decrease the rate of suicide. Awareness is the first stage that can ease the need for prevention. Awareness signifies a fundamental consciousness of the threat, while prevention focuses on stopping the act. Suicide awareness is not a medical engagement but a combination of medical, social, emotional and financial counseling. Suicide awareness in adolescents focuses on the age group between 10–24 years, beginning with the onset of puberty.

<i>The Manic Monologues</i> Play based on accounts of mental illness

The Manic Monologues is a play developed and premiered by Zachary Burton and Elisa Hofmeister at Stanford University. The play consists of autobiographical accounts of mental illness from people diagnosed with mental health disorders, the family and friends of mental health patients, and health professionals. The play explores diagnoses including bipolar, schizophrenia, depression, OCD, and PTSD in stories that are by turns tragic, humorous, and uplifting.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mental health in India</span> Overview of mental health care system in India

Mental healthcare in India is a right secured to every person in the country by law. Indian mental health legislation, as per a 2017 study, meets 68% (119/175) of the World Health Organization (WHO) standards laid down in the WHO Checklist of Mental Health Legislation. However, human resources and expertise in the field of mental health in India is significantly low when compared to the population of the country. The allocation of the national healthcare budget to mental health is also low, standing at 0.16%. India's mental health policy was released in 2014.

References

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  2. "Changing the conversation around mental health in rural India". scroll.in. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  3. "Live, love, laugh, and the depression's gone!". Deccan Chronicle. 2017-05-15. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
  4. "TLLLF's You Are Not Alone programme covers 276 schools in six states : News". indiatoday.intoday.in. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
  5. "What Facebook is doing to help those wanting to commit suicide, and what you can do". FactorDaily. 2017-04-26. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
  6. "Live Love Laugh Foundation: Deepika Padukone launches org for mental health issues". Firstpost. 2015-08-06. Retrieved 2017-05-25.
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  8. Kler, Nina. "Live Love Laugh Foundation Unveils Landmark Report On Public Perception Towards Mental Health In India". BusinessWorld. BW BusinessWorld.
  9. Lang, Cady (2018). "Deepika Paduone Opens Up About Struggle with Depression and Why She's '#NotAshamed' of Mental Illness". Time. You.com USA, LLC, d/b/a TIME.
  10. Lang, Cady (2018). "Deepika Paduone Opens Up About Struggle with Depression and Why She's '#NotAshamed' of Mental Illness". Time. You.com USA, LLC, d/b/a TIME.
  11. Banerjee, Poulomi (2016). "Voices in their heads: How India deals with mental disorders". Hindustantimes. HT Media Limited.
  12. Namrata, Srivastava. "Is India an unhappy nation?". DeccanChronicle.
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