Mental health is largely ignored because it has no physical manifestations. Almost 20 percent of children and adolescents of the world suffer from mental disorders or other mental issues. Stress has been described as a silent killer, and about 9.8 million Indian teenagers are suffering from anxiety and depression. The United Nations has realised addressing mental healthcare as a global crisis, and forms an integral part of Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) prescribed under the UN’s sustainable development goals.

Despite mental illness being a huge issue, it is hardly spoken about or addressed by corporations in their CSR. About 80% of India’s top 200 companies invest their CSR funds in health or education or both. However, with the exception of a handful of initiatives around wellness CSR funds are largely deployed for disease prevention and management only.

Listed below are few programmes or activities that companies can undertake to address the stigmatisation around mental illness:

• Mental Healthcare Programmes for Employees: With rise in tele-health services within the country, companies can partner with healthcare organisations that offer corporate wellness programs. Such tie-ups can benefit employees to better handle stress, anxiety and any other deep-rooted mental ailments.
• Setting up Rehabilitation Centres: Burgeoning cost of medicines coupled with shortage of qualified mental healthcare professionals, have left many mentally ill patients deprived of the required treatment. Corporations can as part of their CSR build residential rehabilitation centres for such patients. For example, Infosys Foundation (the CSR arm of Infosys) has helped in the construction of a 7,500 sq. ft. building at Chittadhama in Karnataka. The Chittaprakasha Charitable Trust provides residential rehabilitation centres for the mentally affected who are homeless.
• Mental Healthcare Awareness Programmes: Companies in partnership with the civil society organisations can conduct mental health awareness programmes in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, and rural areas. Companies can also reach out to extended stakeholder groups such as students and start conversation on mental illness via podcasts, blogs and webinars.

The corporations can also set up trauma centres for people suffering from mental illness, and also set up virtual clinics for patients. Since mental health and illness is shrouded in societal taboo, such virtual clinics can offer an intimate and personal space for consultation.

Corporations can do more than just deploying funds. They can start conversations and build awareness around mental health by utilising their resources and reach. By embracing a strategic approach towards mental health of employees and their families, companies can make mental healthcare training an integral and compulsory component of the on-boarding process. In addition, companies already working in health and education, can direct their focus on mental health and insist that schools should employ counsellors for students and hospitals create mental health departments. Most companies have a large footprint, extending to thousands of employees and millions of consumers. This large network can be used effectively by companies in building conversational platforms around mental health to remove the stigma it currently has.