Mental Health in the South Asian Community
Mental Health encompasses the psychological, emotional, and social well-being of an individual. It is just as important as physical health if not more and can play a major role in the development of a child. Mental health problems can affect any individual regardless of age, gender, race, or sexual orientation. Only in recent years has the importance of mental health became socially acceptable, however, it has not in all communities.
One major community that has not understood the value of mental health and the dire impact of avoiding mental health problems is the South Asian community. In this community, a lot of mental health problems are undermined because people cannot see anything physically wrong with an individual.
Even though mental illnesses cannot be physically seen, they do have physical impacts if ignored or left untreated. Countries in Asia, especially India and China are two of the top countries that are known to have high numbers of anxiety, depression, and substance abuse problems which all correlate to mental health.
Gender roles can have a direct impact on these illnesses because women are supposed to act a certain way and men aren’t allowed to show emotions or they are known to be weak. Suicide rates are three to four times higher in men than women. These stereotypes towards men and women lead to an increase in mental illnesses and bottling up feelings can lead to depression and sometimes suicide.
The world has started acknowledging the importance of mental health and the South Asian community needs to step up its game before any more individuals are lost too easily treatable illnesses. Some ways to help the South Asian community understand is by explaining the impact mental illnesses can have and how they are similar to physical illnesses. Make therapy a socially acceptable concept as well. Bring awareness to the deaths related to these illnesses and how small steps can lead to an individual still being here.
A good way to increase the awareness of mental health in the South Asian community is through films. The film industry is huge in South Asia and watching certain films with family and friends can help bring light to the issues surrounding mental health. Some common Bollywood films that bring awareness to mental illnesses are Taare Zameen Par, Dear Zindagi, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and Chhichhore (Singh D, Agarwal M, 2019). They each focus on a different aspect of mental health and are family-friendly. Bollywood is slowly starting to acknowledge the importance of films that share these stories and more and more films are coming out.
Taare Zameen Par is known as a landmark film for mental health in the South Asian community because it brings awareness to Dyslexia. Dyslexia is a common disorder that is often downplayed as the child just being incapable of reading or stupid. Aamir Khan was able to explain and demonstrate the impact that Dyslexia has on a child and how to help them in the matter of a movie. Psychiatrists and pathologists have been trying for years to portray what Aamir Khan did in the span of a 3-hour movie (Singh D, Agarwal M, 2019). It is clear that the film industry has a major impact on the way individuals view their own lives and with the use of films, hopefully, the South Asian community will change their mindset towards Mental Health.
A lot of change needs to occur within the South Asian community but it is not too late to start. Little steps can have a huge impact and the new generation already knows how important mental health is. With a little push from influencers, the community will be able to grow into something even more beautiful. There is nothing wrong with asking for help. Let’s help change the South Asian community into having a growth mindset towards mental health and illnesses.
