Annantaa Held a Panel Discussion on Mental Health to Commemorate Pride Month

News Desk, News Nation 360: To address emotional resilience and the disproportionately higher rates of anxiety, depression, and social isolation experienced by the queer community, Annantaa organised a specialised mental health and inclusion forum at The Little Bistro as part of its Pride Month initiative. The forum brought together clinical psychologists, LGBTQIA+ advocates, and community leaders. Alongside Annantaa's internal clinical team, which includes founder Madhuri Sarda, co-founder Vidhi Bansal, and clinical psychologist Atreyee Chandra, the panel included a wide range of advocates and professionals, such as Rukshana Kapadia (Food Consultant & LGBTQ Activist), Suneha Saha (Co-Founder of Ammolite Ideators), Bappaditya Mukherjee (Director of Prantakatha), and fashion designer Indroneel Mukherjee. The discussion emphasised the critical need for organised psychological support networks by concentrating on the systematic discrimination and stigma that LGBTQIA+ people still face in traditional jobs, educational institutions, healthcare settings, and family systems. While psychotherapist Vidhi Bansal emphasised that emotional health and social inclusion are deeply structural, noting that validation of lived experiences is a prerequisite for a compassionate society, founder Madhuri Sarda stressed that mental well-being directly flourishes when people are empowered to live authentically and find true, judgment-free acceptance within their communities. In support of this, Zara Chisty Abedin, owner of The Little Bistro, said that genuine inclusion necessitates the creation of secure, regular physical locations, such as local cafés and workplaces, where people feel truly valued for who they are. This goes beyond symbolic gestures. The collaborative session successfully reinforced the fundamental message that psychological safety and emotional well-being remain fundamental human rights, regardless of an individual's sexual orientation or gender identity. It ended with a collective call to action for regional institutions and society at large to move from superficial alignment toward sustained, structural empathy.

Pic - Krishnendu Kundu