Mental health, substance abuse campaign concludes

Vijayawada: The Young Indians (Yi) Amaravati Chapter of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has completed its series of 18 awareness sessions on Mental Health and Substance Abuse. The final session was held on Wednesday at KL University, marking the end of a campaign that reached thousands of students across the region.

The initiative was designed to tackle the growing challenges of mental health and addiction among young people by creating a platform for open and meaningful conversations about well-being.

The closing session was attended by Sri Hari Krishna, chapter chair of Yi Amaravati; Balakrishna Chittineni, chapter co-chair; Harshitha Talasila, student government president at Colgate University; and Dr Meena Medikonda, consultant psychiatrist at Latha Super Specialty Hospital.

Harshitha Talasila led the awareness sessions as part of her “Project for Peace” initiative. She focused on the importance of emotional intelligence, the negative effects of substance abuse, and practical coping strategies for modern life’s pressures.

Throughout the campaign, Yi Amaravati distributed about 7,800 books on mental health.

Dr Meena Medikonda provided expert insights and offered one-on-one counselling to over 750 students, giving them personalised support.