Open discussions on mental health needed as cases rose during lockdown: Tahira Kashyap Khurrana

Filmmaker Gauri Shinde along with author and wife of actor Ayushmann Khurrana, Tahira Kashyap Khurrana on Monday took part in a panel discussion 'Mind Your Mind,' to discuss children's mental health.

Besides Khurrana and Shinde, the panel included several child psychiatrists and school principals.

Kashyap who is a mother of two took the opportunity and spoke at length about breaking the news to her children and explaining to them about the challenges she experienced while dealing with her health.

"Mind Your Mind is a rather important forum to address the issue of children's and teenager's mental health. Unfortunately, mental health is something that is considered a taboo and conveniently brushed under the carpet. Somehow, nobody wants to believe that even our children can go through depression and anxiety," she said.

"I believe that it is significant to create an open discussion on mental health especially since the cases have shot up by a huge margin during the lockdown. I am honoured to have been invited to be a part of the panel," she added.

During the online event, the author of 'The 12 commandments of being a woman,' also threw light on the importance of parents creating a safe space at home for their children to express themselves openly and how imperative it is for grownups to be there for children.

Writer-director Gauri Shinde who has earned raving reviews for her Shah Rukh Khan and Alia Bhatt starrer 'Dear Zindagi,' which dealt with the issue of mental health also delivered a speech during the session.

As part of the discussion, she spoke about the idea behind making the film and the response that she received after its release.

The 46-year-old filmmaker also expressed her opinion on the difficulty of affording therapy and how films and social media today have shaped people's perception of mental health.

( With inputs from ANI )