Conversations Through Dil Ki Baat: Mental Health in Later Life

PI Title:  Dr Jahanara Miah & Dr Rathi Ravindrarajah

Lead member: University of Manchester 

A) What we want to achieve
To support open and honest conversations about mental health among older adults from South Asian communities by sharing the ‘Dil Ki Baat’ film and promoting understanding, trust, and culturally appropriate support. Dil Ki Baat means ‘what’s in the heart/mind’.

Objectives

1. We want to show the Dil Ki Baat film to older people from South Asian communities to help start open and honest conversations about mental health.

2. The film will be used to break down stigma, help people understand mental health better, and make it easier to talk about how they’re feeling.

3. We will also talk about research -what it means, why it’s important, and how sharing your experiences can help improve support and services.

4. We will ask people what they think of the film and what kind of mental health support would work best for them.

5. What we learn will help us apply for more funding to create support that feels right and respectful for older South Asian communities.

Note: We have received £5,000 in funding from the University of Manchester to co-produce three films in South Asian languages (Bengali, Urdu, and Hindi) with older adults from South Asian communities. The film will be part of a helpful resource pack (toolkit) for older South Asian people, which we hope to develop with future funding.

B. To do this, we will:

1. Work with 5 local South Asian community groups across Greater Manchester to set up small, informal gatherings.

2. Show the Dil Ki Baat film at these events to encourage discussion about mental health, stigma, and cultural views.

3. Lead conversations where people can share their thoughts, experiences, and what kinds of help would be useful.

4. Include a simple explanation about research to help people understand how their involvement matters.

5. Collect and record feedback from these discussions to guide future projects and improve inclusivity.

6. We will share what we learned with the community organisations so they can pass it on to the people who took part. We’ll also let them know what the next steps are and share the findings with our research networks.

C. What We Plan to Do and When

1. Planning and Building Partnerships - We will connect with local South Asian community groups across Greater Manchester and plan informal sessions and prepare materials and activities to support these events. (October – December 2025)

2. Community Sessions
   We will visit different community groups to show the Dil Ki Baat film for open conversations about mental health, wellbeing, and research. We’ll also listen to people’s thoughts and gather feedback. (January – July 2026)

3. Sharing Back and Planning Next Steps
   We will feedback to community organisations on what we’ve learned and possible next steps. (May – September 2026)

4. Getting Ready to Apply for Funding
   We will use our learning to help write a funding application on creating mental health support (toolkit) that is respectful, relevant, and shaped by older South Asian people themselves. (August – October 2026)

Amount awarded: £2,000