TAS Conference Urges BRICS Cooperation to Tackle Mental Health Stigma

Source: The Hindu | Original Published At: 2026-11-13 17:39:18 UTC

Key Points

• The 11th Together Against Stigma conference called for stronger BRICS cooperation to combat mental health stigma and discrimination, particularly among children and young people.
• Participants identified youth participation, school-based interventions, community mental healthcare and evidence-based policy reforms as priorities.
• Brazil’s experience in training teachers to recognise psychological distress and connect students with public health services was highlighted.
• India’s National Digital Academy has trained nearly 50,000 mental healthcare professionals through 38 accredited courses and 72 programmes, according to NIMHANS Director Y. C. Janardhan Reddy.
• The George Institute’s ARTEMIS and SATHI studies highlighted the potential of locally tailored campaigns to improve attitudes towards mental health conditions.
• The BRICS Training Hub Network and Network of Centres of Excellence were identified as platforms for sharing research, expertise and effective interventions.