From: nikhil.kamath
The Live Love Laugh (LLL) Foundation, led by Anisha Padukone, is an organization dedicated to addressing mental health awareness and reducing stigma associated with mental illness in India [03:03:00]. The foundation was formally launched in October 2015 [01:07:00], stemming from founder Deepika Padukone’s personal experience with anxiety and depression [02:50:00]. LLL’s core belief is that “no life should be lost due to mental illness,” especially given India’s high rates of suicide [03:34:00].
Tailoring Outreach Programs
To address the diverse landscape of India, LLL focuses on three key areas: awareness, accessibility, and affordability [04:40:00]. All programs and initiatives align with these “Three A’s” [04:50:00]. The approach to outreach is tailored to the target audience and available resources [05:05:00]. While digital mediums and social media are effective for urban dwellers [05:26:00], they are not suitable for reaching a 45-year-old man in rural India [05:36:00].
Significant Challenges in Rural Areas
Reaching out to individuals in rural India presents unique and significant challenges for mental health outreach [05:51:00]. The understanding of mental illness in these regions is severely lacking [06:20:00].
Key challenges include:
- Misconceptions about Mental Illness: There is a strong belief in “faith healers” and “black magic” as explanations for mental health issues [06:26:00].
- Lack of Recognition: Individuals often do not understand or navigate the problem they are experiencing [06:10:00].
- Aggressive Behavior and Treatment: Instances of mental illness can manifest as aggressive behavior, leading to people being physically restrained, such as “chained to their bed or to a tree” [06:38:00].
LLL’s Strategy for Rural Outreach
Recognizing these difficulties, LLL implements a specific strategy for its rural program:
- Community-Based Model: Instead of an individualistic approach, LLL focuses on a “community-based model” [06:51:00]. This involves supporting, making aware, and empowering the larger community [07:01:00].
- Scaling Programs: Having run the rural program since 2016, LLL has established a model that allows for scaling [08:59:00]. The foundation recently won 75 lakh rupees, which will be primarily used for scaling their rural mental health programs [08:46:00].
Impact and Achievements
For LLL, the biggest achievement is witnessing the “transformation in their own life” that individuals experience due to their work, whether in rural or urban settings [07:49:00]. Team members are often approached by unknown individuals who share how LLL helped them through difficult situations [08:15:00]. Similarly, “transformational stories” emerge from beneficiaries of their rural program [08:27:00]. These personal stories of change are considered the true measures of success, rather than awards or other recognition [08:38:00].