World Mental Health Day has been recognized each year on October 10, since 1992,
when it was first introduced by the United Nations (UN). This initiative was made with the goal of raising awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health. Being mentally healthy is imperative, however, the lack of awareness and stigma around the topic is astounding. Mental disorders are quite often villainized in media platforms like movies, TV shows, books, etc. In many communities, especially lower and middle-income countries, it is considered shameful to talk about mental illnesses. Interestingly, 77% of global suicides also occur in low and middle-income countries. Suicide rates are also slowly progressing as the years pass.
Awareness about mental health is being raised; Wasabi Platter has always focused on mental health and published articles about mental health. Despite that, we still need to destigmatize and raise awareness is more vital than ever. But first, do you really know what is mental health?
Mental health can be defined as our emotional, psychological, and social well-being.
According to the WHO, more than 450 million people suffer from mental disorders. More than 700,000 people die due to suicide annually, and there are even more people who have attempted suicide. In fact, Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in 15-19-year-olds. The most common mental disorder is depression, with around 5% of adults recorded to be suffering from depression. Other mental disorders such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and other psychoses, dementia, and developmental disorders including autism are more common than we think, however, due to the stigma around discussing mental disorders and mental health, it is extremely difficult for someone to seek help. Despite proper healthcare and awareness being key, health systems have not yet adequately responded to the burden of mental disorders.
The need for more awareness on the topic of mental health has become more crucial
since the start of COVID-19. The coronavirus pandemic has impacted all of us, immensely
affecting our mental health. There has been a surge in stress, sleeping difficulties, anxiety,
depression, loneliness, frustration, and uncertainty between people as death and mass hysteria run rampant in our country. Many of us have lost someone close to us to this disease and have altered our lives considerably. Anxiety and depression rates have skyrocketed especially for women; the pandemic has forced them to bear with increased household tasks bestowed on them due to gender roles and a shocking increase in domestic violence against women. Numerous other groups have also been affected by the pandemic in specific ways, like children, migrant workers, and daily wage laborers, health care and frontline workers, LGBTQIA+ people, people with pre-existing mental health conditions, and people with substance use disorders.
It is considered shameful to talk about mental illnesses, especially in our country.
However, as of 2017, more than 14 percent of the total population in India suffers from variations of mental disorders. I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression over two years ago and have been going to therapy since then. However, this is my first time opening up about it with anyone. I was fortunate enough to have a supportive and sympathetic family, which is a rarity in our country. They made an effort to learn more about mental illnesses and ensured that I would be provided with adequate treatment. Therefore, I personally know how difficult it is for people with mental illnesses to function in society. It is treated by some as an excuse, by others as something to demonize. What people must realize is that mental illnesses are like other physical illnesses and must be treated as such.
The condition of mental health care systems in India is abysmal, with proper support
being too expensive for an average person and much of the support that is provided, such as therapy, is usually only available in more urban areas. However, the COVID-19 has provided us all with an opportunity to have a more personal understanding about the importance of mental health. In fact, authorities and policy makers of numerous countries as well as many corporations and employers have started to make changes to accommodate people’s mental well-being. We, as students, may not be able to make big-scale changes, but we can take small steps to help destigmatize discussions of mental health. For example, if you see or hear someone spreading false misconceptions about mental illnesses, correct them and raise awareness about the importance of mental health. We must all unify together to address this issue and we must grow beyond societal norms and stigma.
Image courtesy: https://www.amarchitrakatha.com/history_details/15-things-you-should-know-about-the-iaf/