Trigger warning: This episode includes mentions of mental health disorders, anxiety, and suicide.

This episode is dedicated to mental health — about learning to take care of our mental well-being, initiating difficult conversations with our families about our struggles, and seeking help when we need it. For this episode, reporter Nikita Tripathi spoke to Kripa Sigdel, a psychologist and a faculty member at the Department of Psychology at Padma Kanya Campus; psychologist Renasha Ghimire, and Prashamsha Pandey, a mental health advocate, and therapy client. Information on mental health conditions and related services are more readily available to the urban population, but many, especially in the rural parts of the country, have limited access to such vital resources. Nepal’s public health spending thus far has grossly overlooked mental health while individuals risk being stigmatized for their mental health conditions by their family and society at large.

मानसिक स्वास्थ्यबारे कुराकानी सुरु हुनु आफैमा राम्रो कुरा हो। अब आउने दिनहरुमा मानसिक स्वास्थ्यसम्बन्धी सेवाको पहुँच पनि बढोस्।

This episode was reported by Nikita Tripathi. Nikita is a media producer based in Kathmandu and likes to walk.

Irina Giri edited the episode and Fleeke performed the cover of Fiona Apple's 'Every Single Night'.

If you, or anyone you know, needs help with their mental health, the following information might be of help:

Mental Health Helpline Nepal: 1660 0133666

Mental health professionals providing free services curated by @gyanchautari on Instagram (Shared on May 9, 2021) - https://www.instagram.com/p/COpS4HABVy2/

TUTH Suicide Hotline: 9840021600

Transcultural Psychosocial Organization-Nepal: 1660 0102005

Patan Hospital Helpline for Suicide Prevention: 9813476123

Check out the works of Psychbigyaan Network Nepal, which Kripa Sigdel founded and is the Executive Director - https://psychbigyaan.com.

Readings:

‘Nepal’s suicide rate vastly underestimated’ - https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepals-suicide-rate-vastly-underestimated/

‘महामारीले बेरोजगारी, बढ्यो ‘डिप्रेसन’ र आत्महत्या’ - https://ekantipur.com/news/2021/07/21/162683222820863757.html

‘National Mental Health Survey, Nepal-2020 (Factsheets-Adults)’ - http://nhrc.gov.np/publication/national-mental-health-survey-nepal-2020-factsheets-adults/

‘National Mental Health Survey, Nepal-2020 (Factsheets-Adolescents) - http://nhrc.gov.np/publication/national-mental-health-survey-nepal-2020-factsheets-adolescents/

‘National Mental Health Survey, Nepal’ conducted by National Health Research Council - http://nhrc.gov.np/projects/nepal-mental-health-survey-2017-2018/

Pilot Study of National Mental Health Survey, Nepal, September 2018 - http://nhrc.gov.np/publication/pilot-study-of-national-mental-health-survey-nepal/

‘Women Across 17 Countries Report Increased Stress, Household Work Due To Covid-19’ - https://www.forbes.com/sites/dishashetty/2021/01/29/women-across-17-countries-report-increased-stress-household-work-due-to-covid-19

‘Simone Biles Says She Wasn’t Right Mentally During Olympic Final’ - https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/07/27/sports/gymnastics-olympics-results

‘Mental health struggles are ubiquitous. We are all Naomi Osaka now’ - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jun/18/mental-health-struggles-naomi-osaka

‘I wanted more memories’: young people reflect on a year lost to Covid’ - https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jul/20/covid-young-people-year-lost

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