Beyond Awareness: Turning a Simple Game of Bingo into a Conversation About Help-Seeking

Mental health conversations are more visible today than ever before. Yet awareness does not always translate into knowing when to seek support, where to find it, or feeling comfortable enough to do so. For the Saathi Support team at O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU), regular student engagement has offered a way to understand these gaps and keep mental health conversations going.

At a recent Saathi Support event on the JGU campus, more than 50 students took part in a simple game of Mental Health Bingo, which used myths and facts to start conversations around mental health. Students were asked to identify common misconceptions, with a small prize of gems for those who completed the game correctly.

While most students were able to get most myths right, a lot of students stumbled upon certain myths that they still believed were facts. Myths such as: children cannot suffer from mental illness, mental illness being a sign of weakness, and that stigma still prevents people from seeking support and treatment. These conversations became an opportunity for the team to discuss stigma, help-seeking, and the importance of accessing support early. 

Alongside the bingo activity, students could also pick messages from a “Take What You Need” board and contribute to a chart paper on “A Song That Feels Like a Hug.” These simple activities offered students different ways to engage with the booth, whether they wanted to have a conversation or simply take a moment for themselves.

The team also introduced students to Saathi Support and encouraged them to consider reaching out for themselves or directing a friend who may be struggling towards available support.

Saathi Support has been present on the JGU campus since October 2025. Yet each interaction with students continues to bring new questions, reflections, and insights. 

Here’s one we were left with after playing Bingo with students: mental health awareness is not a one-time activity. It requires continued conversations, accessible support, and wider systemic efforts to make help-seeking easier for students.