Bollywood icon and mental health advocate Deepika Padukone has been appointed as the country’s first-ever ‘Mental Health Ambassador’ by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
Deepika, who founded The Live Love Laugh Foundation (LLL) in 2015 after sharing her personal experience with depression, will now work closely with the Ministry to promote awareness, reduce stigma, and improve access to mental health care across India.
Union Health Minister JP Nadda praised the collaboration, saying that this partnership will help reach people across all sections of society and make them more aware of the importance of mental health. He said that Deepika’s voice and influence would inspire many to come forward, talk about their struggles, and seek help without fear or shame.
Expressing her gratitude, Deepika said she was deeply honoured to take on this responsibility. “I am humbled to serve as the first-ever Mental Health Ambassador for the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has made strong progress in prioritizing mental health. I look forward to working closely with the Ministry to continue this journey and build a more supportive mental health framework for our nation,” she said.
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LLL has led national awareness campaigns like “Dobara Poocho” and “#NotAshamed”, both encouraging people to talk about their emotions and end the silence around mental illness. It has also developed school-based initiatives like “You Are Not Alone”, designed to support adolescents, and a “Doctors Program” to train general practitioners to identify and respond to mental health concerns early.
Recently, the foundation has also started a corporate well-being program to promote mental health in workplaces.