Indian Institute of Astrophysics Partners with YourDOST to Promote Mental Health Awareness

Bengaluru, 22 October 2024: Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), one of India’s top autonomous research institutes, has announced a partnership with YourDOST, one of the largest counseling and emotional wellness platforms. The partnership will support students and faculty of IIA to access online counseling sessions with qualified therapists, interactive webinars on YourDOST platform for personal growth and mental health awareness. Bringing together IIA’s rich historical legacy and YourDOST’s innovative approach to mental health, the collaboration aims to create an open conversation around Mental Health especially in academic spaces.

Students’ mental health has become a growing concern, with a significant rise in distressing incidents over the last decade. According to the 2022 report by the National Crime Records Bureau, 13,044 students lost their lives due to mental health challenges, reflecting a slight 0.3% decrease from the previous year. However, over the span of 10 years (2013-2022), the number of such cases surged by 64%, with 1,03,961 students affected, underscoring a troubling trend. This rise highlights the urgent need for mental health support and preventive measures, especially as academic pressure, career expectations, and personal issues continue to weigh heavily on students.

Through this collaboration, YourDOST will conduct regular workshops and offer tailored support to both faculty and students at IIA. The partnership will include access to 24/7 online counseling, mental health awareness programs, and specialized sessions for faculty and tea. Additionally, YourDOST will provide personalized interventions and create a safe space for students to openly discuss their mental health concerns.

Speaking about this partnership, Prof Annapurni Subramaniam, Director of IIA said “At IIA, we have always believed in the holistic development of our students. By partnering with YourDOST, we are taking a significant step towards ensuring that our students have access to modern mental health resources. This initiative will empower our students to navigate the challenges of academic life”

Richa Singh, CEO & Co-Founder of YourDOST, commented, “We are deeply honored to partner with an institution as venerable as IIA. We are excited to support IIA’s students in their journey of personal and academic growth, equipping them with essential tools for emotional resilience.”

Over the last decade of their experience, YourDOST has worked with over 150+ academic institutions including IITs, IIMs, IISc etc. They help the institutions setup their counseling/ wellness centres, running peer-support training for suicide prevention, building sensitisation through programs on gender, addiction etc.