Importance of Mental Health Awareness

According to the National Mental Health Survey 2019, 14% of all adults in India have or will have some or other mental condition or disorder. Nearly 56 million people are estimated to have depression and another 38 million suffer from anxiety disorders. Also, the pandemic has added to the cause for concern.

According to the latest survey by India’s National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Less than 30 million Indians genuinely seek treatment for the nearly 150 million people who require mental health services.

More than 10% of the people have a diagnosable mental illness or drug addiction.

Mental health is paramount and getting treatment for mental disorders is not a luxury but a necessity -Pratima Murthy, Director of NIMHANS.

The survey concluded that 1% of the sample size is at high risk of suicide.

Another survey of mental health was conducted by the Lancet Medical Journal in 2017 which showed the diagnosis of psychological disorders doubled from 1990 to 2017.

Lack of knowledge and awareness

In India, Mental health disorders are not taken seriously due to lack of education and awareness regarding psychological disorders.

This discourages young people from seeking help because of the social stigma and negative attitude towards mental health.

There are not enough mental health professionals to treat those who seek help. This is especially very true in rural parts of India.

In India, there are 0.75 Psychiatrists for every 100,000 patients, according to the Indian Journal of Psychiatry. A better ratio would be three for every 100,000.

Even this number is low compared to other countries such as Germany where there are about 13 psychiatrists for every 100,000 patients as of 2015, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

India has less than 1 psychiatrist for every 100,000 mental health patients.

Measures to reduce stigma around mental health

Stigma is like a label (usually negative) that people put onto someone or something because they are not seen as “normal” in society. This label may lead to unfair treatments such as discrimation and avoidance against people who bear the stigma.

• Talk it out: Stigma makes individuals feel alienated and withdrawn from society. Embarrassment and isolation can only be removed by interacting and communicating with other people. By encouraging open conversations about mental health with friends, family and co-workers and sharing personal experiences to show that struggling with mental health is normal and can happen to anyone.
• Use of language: When discussing mental health with others, make sure that you are not using disparaging or judgemental language. Instead, Use empathetic and positive language that promotes understanding and sympathy.
• Education: Educating individuals of all age groups about the importance of mental health issues through schools, workplaces and communities. Also, conducting awareness campaigns to provide right and correct information and busting myths and misconceptions about mental health, will leave people with no doubt.
• Role of media: Media plays an important role in providing information to people and updating them about what’s happening around the world. Media should take responsibility of showing mental health accurately and carefully. People who have struggled with mental health problems should be provided with a platform so that they can share their stories of resilience and recovery to provide hope and inspiration.
• Mental health = Physical health: Understanding mental health is as important as physical health. Just because it is not visible or tangible does not mean it does not exist or affect an individual. This lack of visibility can lead to misunderstandings, misconceptions, and fears. A person can only be called healthy if his mental health and physical health both are stable.

By Ishika Rawat