Discussing the Taboo with YourDOST

When we talk about innovative startups, our mind always steers towards technology and IT. However, emotional wellness is rarely taken into account.

As well all know, people today are more stressed than ever. Mental health issues are on the rise but no one likes to talk about the taboo. Many still disregard mental health issues as mere mood swings, ‘phases’ or plain excuses. The truth is that mental health issues are more real than you would think and India is home to many victims.

According to the World Health Organisation report in 2015, one adult out of five people was depressed. More shockingly, the report also suggested that India is possibly the most depressed country in the world. Suicides are the third largest cause of death between the age group of 15 to 35 year olds which is nearly 50 per cent of the nation’s population.

Looking at the numbers, mental health surely does not seem like a minor concern. Yet, it is grossly sidelined. The health budget only allots 0.06% of the total to mental health.

Due to the immense ignorance towards such issues, people suffering from them are reluctant to come forward and seek help. The social stigma attached to it is even worst which resulted in many ending their lives.

It was after Richa Singh lost a friend to mental illness that she decided to start Yourdost.com.

With the intent of encouraging people to share and seek help for their mental health, Richa and her friends started YourDOST in December of 2014.

It is an online platform where people can instantly get support from expert psychologists and psychiatrists. Currently the platform has over 200 experts with 2 lakh successful users. YourDOST combines the convenience of anonymity with technology to work around the social stigma attached to mental health while providing the help they need.

A one of its kind startup, YourDOST has been a hit in tackling the silent predator of the nation. Slowly but surely, mental health awareness is increasing in India. With such innovative startups that work for social benefits and not just private ones, the startup ecosystem in India is deeply dynamic.

It is great to see that individuals are setting out to make a difference in other people’s lives through their creative ideas. Startups don’t always have to be profit oriented, sometimes it’s the social welfare that counts.