A Search for Stories: IOTT launches mental health stories collection campaigns
Collaborating with YMH & Queerbeat to reach young students and bring their mental health stories to light
This April, we’ve launched two exciting campaigns to collect real, lived stories of mental health.
University students face a multitude of challenges — leaving home, adjusting to a new environment, meeting new people, academic pressures, social struggles, and financial or family-related tensions.
To give voice to the unspoken and unheard experiences of university life, we’ve launched the Zubaan-e-Dil campaign — a space to share and be heard.
If you relate to this, your story matters — and we’d love to hear it. Sharing your story can help others feel less alone, challenge stigma, and build a sense of connection and hope.
Submit by May 15, 2025
You can share your story as a written piece, video, artwork, or audio.
Submissions can be anonymous and will receive editorial, translation, and art support before being published on our platforms.Not sure what to write about? We’ve got prompts to help! Topics include academics, relationships, loneliness, identity, financial stress, resilience, and more.
👉 Click here to read the full submission guide.
Let your voice be heard. Let someone else know they’re not alone. ❤️
As part of this initiative, interactive activity booths and poster drives were set up across eight university campuses in Delhi NCR — creating safe, engaging spaces to spark conversations around mental health and invite students to share their real, personal stories.
See it in action — catch the heartfelt glimpses from the campaign
The Stories Within: A Call for Queer Student Voices
We’re excited to share another powerful campaign amplifying student voices — “The Story Within”, a collaborative series by It’s Ok To Talk (Sangath) and Queerbeat.
This initiative invites queer individuals to share their mental health journeys — stories that explore coming out, identity struggles, relationships, community-building, stigma, or simply navigating life as a queer individual. Whether you’re managing the pressures of student life, facing discrimination, or finding strength in chosen family — each story matters.
Why share your story?
Your voice can challenge stigma, spark important conversations, and help build a more supportive, affirming space for queer youth across the country.
What kind of stories can you submit?
Personal reflections (around 1200 words) that touch on mental health and identity — from struggles to moments of growth, hope, or community. You don’t have to be a professional writer; just speak from the heart.
What’s in it for you?
Editorial support to help shape your story
Publication on It’s Ok To Talk and queerbeat platforms
An honorarium as a token of appreciation
Submit your expression of interest by filling out this form with a short 200-word summary of your story.
Need inspiration? Read stories that capture the essence of this campaign:
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