TAS conference urges BRICS countries to join hands to tackle mental health stigma

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Emphasising the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us”, panellists said young people and persons with lived experience must have a meaningful role in framing mental health policies and challenging discrimination. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

The 11th Together Against Stigma (TAS) conference, being organised by George Institute for Global Health in collaboration with Department of Psychiatry, AIIMS Delhi, and UNICEF, has called for stronger cooperation among BRICS countries to combat mental health stigma and discrimination, with a focus on improving access to inclusive mental healthcare for children, adolescents, and young people.

The conference, which is concluding on Saturday (November 13, 2026), has representatives from India, Brazil, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Malaysia. They have identified youth participation, school-based interventions, community mental healthcare and evidence-based policy reforms as key priorities.

Emphasising the principle of “Nothing About Us Without Us”, panellists said young people and persons with lived experience must have a meaningful role in framing mental health policies and challenging discrimination. Schools, they noted, could serve as critical points for early identification and intervention. Brazil’s experience of training teachers to recognise psychological distress and link students with public health services was highlighted as a model.

NIMHANS Director Y. C. Janardhan Reddy highlighted the role of the National Digital Academy in building India’s mental healthcare workforce. With 38 accredited courses and 72 programmes, the academy has trained nearly 50,000 professionals across the country, he said.

The conference also highlighted findings from The George Institute for Global Health India’s ARTEMIS study (Adolescents’ Resilience and Treatment needs for Mental health in Indian Slums) and the SATHI study among tribal communities. Both demonstrated the potential of locally tailored anti-stigma campaigns to improve attitudes towards people with mental health conditions. The interventions also helped reduce depression and anxiety among adolescents, said Y. K. Sandhya, Programme Lead, Mental Health, at the institute.

The BRICS Training Hub Network and Network of Centres of Excellence were identified as platforms for sharing research, expertise and effective interventions.

Being held at AIIMS, New Delhi, from November 12 to 14, the conference is the first edition hosted in a Global South country.

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