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Online certificate course · Health professionals

CoNNECT
Media & Mental Health Communication

A structured 3-month programme for health professionals to communicate mental health accurately, ethically and effectively across media.

Apply for CoNNECT Explore the curriculum

Delivered by the Department of Mental Health Education, NIMHANS, with Augmenta Health Private Limited as collaborator. Course details below follow the finally agreed proposal. Apply below; the MHED team at NIMHANS will get back to you regarding final approval, payment instructions and course details.

3 monthsCourse duration
12 weeks6 modules
25 participantsPer batch
WeeklyUp to 90 minutes
BlendedRecorded + live learning
80%Minimum attendance
Why CoNNECT

From expertise to responsible public communication

Mental-health information increasingly reaches the public through media. CoNNECT is designed to help health professionals communicate complex information clearly, counter misinformation, reduce stigma and engage responsibly across platforms.

Media literacy

Recognise bias, misinformation, disinformation, malinformation and manipulated content.

Clear communication

Translate clinical ideas into accessible, culturally sensitive and accurate public messages.

Ethical engagement

Navigate consent, confidentiality, sensitive reporting, privacy, interviews and crisis communication.

Public impact

Frame stigma-free narratives, engage communities and design evidence-based media campaigns.

12-week journey

Six modules. One connected progression.

The curriculum moves from understanding media to communicating, engaging ethically, reframing narratives, practising skills and applying them in a real-world project.

01

Understand

Weeks 1–2

Introduction to Media & Mental Health

02

Communicate

Weeks 3–4

Effective Communication Strategies

03

Engage Ethically

Weeks 5–6

Ethical Engagement with Media

04

Reframe

Weeks 7–8

Stigma Reduction & Narrative Framing

05

Practise

Weeks 9–10

Practical Media Training

06

Apply

Weeks 11–12

Final Project — Real-World Media Engagement

1Introduction to Media & Mental HealthWeeks 1–2 · Media influence, media literacy and misinformation⌄

Core focus

  • Role of media in mental-health perceptions, stigma, policies and public-health outcomes
  • Global and Indian media narratives and case studies
  • Misinformation, disinformation and malinformation
  • Credibility, bias, sensationalism and manipulated visual content

Learning in practice

  • Media analysis and group discussion
  • Fact-checking exercises
  • Developing responsible media-engagement strategies
2Effective Communication StrategiesWeeks 3–4 · Clear language, framing, storytelling and sensitive communication⌄

Core focus

  • Scientific versus lay language
  • Strategic framing and responsible language choices
  • Storytelling without sensationalism
  • Public forums, live Q&A and difficult questions
  • Trigger warnings and responsible discussion of suicide and self-harm

Learning in practice

  • Simulated media interviews and crisis scenarios
  • Storytelling and language-framing exercises
  • Peer evaluation of communication strategies
3Ethical Engagement with MediaWeeks 5–6 · Guidelines, confidentiality, modern media and crisis challenges⌄

Core focus

  • WHO, Indian and international reporting guidance
  • Confidentiality, consent, anonymity and public interest
  • Doxing, algorithm bias, backlash, digital burnout and online harassment
  • Social media, podcasts, influencers and live streaming
  • Interview training, cybersecurity and viral-content crisis management

Learning in practice

  • Media-response simulations
  • Peer review of podcast or social-media content
  • Role plays for provocative and crisis-related questions
4Stigma Reduction & Narrative FramingWeeks 7–8 · Recovery-oriented, empathetic and responsible narratives⌄

Core focus

  • Public, self and institutional stigma
  • Recovery-oriented and solution-focused narratives
  • Person-first language and responsible versus harmful wording
  • Bias in language, imagery and headlines
  • Ethical use of lived-experience stories and digital stigma reduction

Learning in practice

  • Rewriting headlines and narratives
  • Creating a person-first media campaign
  • Peer review and discussion of bias in real-world content
5Practical Media TrainingWeeks 9–10 · Interviews, press conferences, strategic messaging and crisis communication⌄

Core focus

  • Simulated interviews, press conferences, broadcast and podcast interactions
  • Leading, loaded, invasive and sensationalised questions
  • Talking points, bridge-and-pivot, soundbites and platform adaptation
  • Feedback, re-training and audience response
  • Crisis communication, backlash and media relationships

Learning in practice

  • Simulated press conferences and interviews
  • Media-professional and peer feedback
  • Performance analysis, refinement and self-assessment
6Final Project — Real-World Media EngagementWeeks 11–12 · Design, execute, present and evaluate a mental-health media campaign⌄

Core focus

  • Define a mental-health issue, goals and target audience
  • Develop messaging, format and platform strategy
  • Incorporate accessible visuals and narratives
  • Plan risk, crisis communication and audience engagement
  • Present to an expert panel and build a professional portfolio

Possible project formats

  • Social-media campaign
  • TV or radio PSA
  • Opinion editorial or long-form article
  • Short film/documentary, influencer collaboration or public-health communication strategy
How you will learn

Structured, blended and practical

CoNNECT is designed around active learning rather than lectures alone.

Recorded learningCore concepts and preparatory content.
Live Q&AClarification and interaction with the teaching team.
Case discussionsApply learning to realistic media situations.
Media analysisExamine reporting, framing, accuracy and bias.
Role plays & simulationsInterviews, press conferences and crisis scenarios.
AssignmentsCase-based and media-analysis tasks.
Assessment

How your assessment is weighted

Quizzes, assignments and the final project together make up 100% of the assessment.

Total assessment 100%

Quizzes · 40%

Assess theoretical understanding.

Assignments · 30%

Case-based and media-analysis tasks.

Final Project · 30%

Real-world media campaign and strategic engagement.

Eligibility & course details

Who can apply?

The approved proposal welcomes health and allied-health professionals, as well as eligible graduates from diverse academic backgrounds.

Eligibility

  • Health and allied-health professionals
  • Students from diverse academic backgrounds who have completed an undergraduate degree from a recognised institution
  • Basic computer proficiency required
AdmissionOnline application + eligibility screening
MediumEnglish
Fee₹5,000 as listed in the approved proposal
PlatformsMoodle + Zoom

Completion requirements

  • 80% minimum attendance
  • Two attempts for the final assessment
  • Certification upon completion
Scope & professional boundaries

What participants will be equipped to do

The course builds communication and advocacy capability while retaining clear clinical and confidentiality boundaries.

Participants can

  • Communicate mental-health issues effectively and accurately across media
  • Narrate responsible, stigma-free stories
  • Navigate interviews and public forums professionally
  • Educate the public using accessible, evidence-based information
  • Challenge misinformation and harmful stereotypes
  • Handle sensitive and crisis communication ethically
  • Develop media strategies for public-health communication

Participants cannot

  • Diagnose or treat mental-health conditions through media engagement
  • Publish confidential or sensitive patient information without explicit consent
Registration

Your next step towards responsible communication.

Apply for the next CoNNECT batch. Admission is subject to eligibility screening and final approval by the MHED team at NIMHANS.

1Share your contact details and completed qualification.
2The MHED team at NIMHANS reviews your application.
3Hear from the team about final approval, payment and course details.

No payment is collected with this application.

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Your information

Your details are used for course registration, eligibility screening and related communication. Registration notifications go to Augmenta Health at augmentahealth@gmail.com. Please do not include patient information, medical records or payment details. For a correction or deletion request, email the same address.

Final approval, payment instructions and course details will follow from the MHED team at NIMHANS.

Learner support

Know where to go for help

Support should be easy to find before and during the course. The course includes live Q&A; individual faculty contact details and office hours should only be published once officially approved.

Before applying

For course, eligibility or batch-related questions, use the Mental Health Education Department’s official contact route.

mhe@nimhans.net

During the course

Teaching support is built around scheduled live Q&A, case discussions and the course learning environment. Batch-specific routes should be shared after enrollment.

Support Corner

Quick answers

Use the department’s FAQ section for common course-platform and learner questions.

View FAQs
Frequently asked questions

Common student questions

How long is the course?

Three months, with one online session of up to 90 minutes every week across a 12-week, six-module structure.

Who is eligible to apply?

Health and allied-health professionals, as well as students from diverse academic backgrounds who have completed an undergraduate degree from a recognised institution. Basic computer proficiency is required.

How is the course delivered?

Blended learning using recorded lectures, live Q&A, case discussions and assignments. The proposal lists Moodle and Zoom as the digital platforms.

How will I be assessed?

Quizzes 40%, assignments 30%, and the final project 30%. A minimum of 80% attendance is required.

Will I have opportunities to practise media communication?

Yes. The syllabus includes simulated interviews, press conferences, broadcast and podcast simulations, role play, peer feedback and a real-world final media project.

Can I contact individual faculty directly?

The approved proposal lists the teaching team but does not specify personal office hours or direct faculty contact channels. Batch-specific teaching-support routes should be communicated through the course platform once confirmed.

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