Deepika Padukone speaks on the importance of de-stigmatizing mental health issues

Bollywood powerhouse and beloved star Deepika Padukone recently received the Crystal Award at the World Economic Forum for her contribution to mental health awareness.

During her acceptance speech on the event, the star went on to talk about her own experiences with mental illness, its effects on her life and how everything she endured led her to start her own foundation.

The star was made part of a panel discussion with Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. There she opened up about extreme need of successfully de-stigmatizing the issue of mental health. Videos from the even went viral and tugged at audience’s heart strings due to its heavy subject matter.

The Bollywood A-lister asked of more compassion and empathy for those suffering from the illness. She was quoted as saying, “It’s important for people around to not dismiss it (depression) as attention-seeking, they should have empathy towards the person who’s talking. We all have a habit of asking each other how we’re doing without actually listening.”

Check out videos below