Written By: Shraddha Rupavate | Published : October 9, 2014 5:13 PM IST
October 10 is World Mental Health Day
The significance of World Mental Health Day has increased this year for Indians, as now every year October 10 will be recognised as the National Mental Health Day. Announcing the step towards developing the nation's first mental health policy ever, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan Tuesday said 'We want a nation that upholds the human rights of mental patients. Also, it will be an occasion to generate awareness against stigmatisation of people with mental illnesses and highlight the symptoms and remedial opportunities for those with depression, schizophrenia and bipolar syndrome,' he added.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, currently 20 million Indians are suffering from mental health problems and about 20% of India's population is predicted to develop some kind of mental health issue by the year 2020. Here's a brief account of a few common mental health problems ailing Indians.
Depression and anxiety: According to a 2005 study, conducted by the National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health in 2005, about 5% of Indian population suffers from common mental disorders, such as depression and anxiety. And, the underlying cause is stress. Under chronic stress, the brain seeks some or the other way to escape the pressure. But today most people fail to find effective ways of coping up with increasing stress. As a result, the brain sinks into deeper, negative thoughts, resulting in behavioural changes that may affect daily functioning. Since the mind and the body shares a close relationship, stress causes an internal imbalance that could lead to depression and anxiety.
Schizophrenia: According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) statistics, about 24 million people all over the world suffer from schizophrenia. Categorised as a severe mental illness, schizophrenia is one of the most common mental health problems Indians are suffering from. According to Dr Samir Praikh, consultant Psychiatrist, Department of Mental Health and Behavioral Science, FMRI, the lifetime chance of developing schizophrenia is estimated to be about 1%. So, one in a hundred individuals may develop schizophrenia in their lifetime. 'There is no single cause for the condition but psychosocial issues and family dynamics play an important role in the onset and recovery of schizophrenics,' he adds.
Bi-polar disorder: It a type of mood disorder, where people experience episodes of extreme elation or 'mania' that alternate with episodes of extreme depression. Mood swings are a part of emotional well-being but in those with bi-polar disorder the switches cannot be called as normal. Life events like death of a family member, unemployment, job insecurity, relationship difficulties and child birth are among few factors that may trigger the onset of bipolar disorder.
Psychosis: Another severe mental illness, psychosis makes a person sway away from reality. Such people are delusional and hallucinate (seeing or hearing things that do not exist in reality). It is closely related to schizophrenia and, in fact, many schizophrenics may develop psychosis.
Suicidal tendency: As per the World health Organisation's (WHO) first global report on suicide prevention, India had the highest number of recorded suicide cases in the year 2012 globally. India has a pool of people who have poor problem solving skills, who're impulsive, who have disturbed interpersonal relationships, which triggers suicidal thoughts. A stressful life leads can cause and retain emotional turmoil that contributes a lot to suicidal thoughts. But suicides can be prevented with early psychological help and support.
According to Dr Parikh, several factors like increasing crime rates, corruption and general unrest, at large, are huge contributors to mental instability among Indians, which clearly highlights the need for increased awareness and attention to mental health issues in our country. It's the only way to eliminate stigma and improve mental health care in India.
Image Source: Getty Images
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