WHO reported, ‘One in four children in the age group of 13-15 years in India suffer from anxiety, depression, mood and conduct disorders’. NeuroGen wanted to help these children through its Department of Pediatric Psychology, which looks after the mental health of its patients. Increased technological dependence, peer pressure and the shift to nuclear families are some of the factors that have led to the mental health crisis distressing our children today. We set out to find a preventive approach towards positive psychology, which resulted in OMM, an interactive toolkit that aims to promote mental well-being among children by encouraging children to learn about their feelings at their own pace and convenience. It strengthens the parent-child bond through healthy discussions, thereby, enabling every parent to be a counselor for their child, while the child develops into a well adjusted individual capable of handling their emotions on their own.

Parents spend more time with their child than any counselor. Keeping this in mind, Neurogen BSI’s world-renowned pediatric psychology department, which treats children with neurological diseases, was in search for an approach that focused on turning parents into counselors for their child. One Mindful Mind was developed in response to fill the existing gap for tools in positive psychology. In light of the inability of the small pool of professionals to cater to India’s huge population, One Mindful Mind relies heavily on participation by parents by prioritizing prevention of mental illnesses over rehabilitation. An interactive, non-prescriptive kit of 5 tools, OMM enforces positive behaviour through healthy discussions between parents and children, thereby, strengthening the parent-child bond, while ensuring that the child grows up to be a well-adjusted individual by training them in positive psychology. It aims to prepare children, not for university, but for the universe.

Mental Health is an issue that is not widely talked about in India. As a result, the problem has slowly and gradually made its way into the lives of Indians. Gathering reliable data on mental health and related illnesses from reports from organizations like WHO, it was discovered that nearly a quarter of Indians between the age of 13-15 suffer from sort of mental illness. Moreover, after conducting interviews with several professionals at NeuroGen, it was discovered that our target group, i.e., 7-15 year-olds are particularly susceptible to such issues. Once it was established that this is an issue that plagues several Indians, we looked at the currently existing approaches towards mental health. It was discovered that conventional means attempt to treat rather than prevent mental illnesses. We approached the problem by attempting to prevent the problem at the very root by engaging children in activities.

One Mindful Mind was developed to fill the gap that exists for tools in positive psychology. It comprises of five resources which have been designed in a compact manner to fit into a box seamlessly. The box is sturdy and covered with waterproof fabric to prevent mishandling and stains and can replicated on a mass scale. Each unit is modular and gives children the freedom to pick a tool of their choice. We wanted the kit to be tactile and engaging. So, we used a variety of media and materials and to keep a child visually intrigued. Beginning from February 2019, One Mindful Mind was distributed across schools, counselling centers and child care centers in the cities of Mumbai, New Delhi and Kolkata. Over 9000 families, in India and abroad, have adopted the toolkit in their daily lives enabling parents across the globe to act as counselors for their children.

One Mindful Mind has empowered parents around India to understand and guide their children through life in an emotionally healthy manner. Within three months of its launch, over 9000 families have adopted the kit in India and abroad. Fueled by the demand of concerned parents across the country, more than 40 workshops have been conducted by One Mindful Mind. With the intention of changing the mindset of students towards mental health, over 500 kits have been distributed in schools and child care centers and 30 counselling sessions have been facilitated in schools nationwide. Endorsed by leading child psychologists and therapists, India's Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education have been approached to regularise OMM into the current curriculum to integrate discussions on mental health in the everyday course of life. We hope to progress on this, once the general elections in the country are over.