Q3. India cannot be in denial about mental health issues anymore. Comment. (250 words)
Model Answer:
Introduction:
Over 90 million Indians, or 7.5 percent of the population, suffer from mental health problems, according to the World Health Organization.
Body:
The burden of mental diseases throughout the states of India:
The Global Burden of Disease Study 1990–2017, published in the Lancet in December 2019, adds to the scale of the problem.
Mental health problems are one of the primary causes of non-fatal illness burden in India, and the pandemic isn't helping matters, playing havoc with the minds of millions of people and causing stress.
In India, the state of mental health is as follows:
More than 450 million people are affected by mental illnesses.
According to the World Health Organization, depression would be the second most common ailment worldwide by 2020. (Murray & Lopez, 1996).
India has been dubbed the world's "most miserable country" by the World Health Organization.
According to a study, one in every seven Indians suffered from mental illness between 1990 and 2017, ranging from depression to anxiety to serious disorders such as schizophrenia.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the United States is experiencing a mental health crisis.
The significance of mental health:
Emotional and mental health is important since it affects your thoughts, behaviours, and emotions and is a vital component of your life.
Our mental health comprises our psychological, emotional, and social well-being and can increase productivity and effectiveness in tasks such as job, school, or caring.
This implies it has an impact on how we feel, think, and act on a daily basis.
Our mental health has an impact on how we make decisions, how we deal with stress, and how we interact with people.
The rising societal and economic consequences of mental illness drew attention to the prospects for enhancing mental health and preventing and treating mental illness.
Mental illness stigma:
The main focus is on decreasing the stigma associated with mental illness, particularly in terms of not mistaking any psychiatric or mental health issue for a severe mental disease or lunacy.
The need to respect the human rights of people who are suffering from mental illness.
Reasons for recent mental health deterioration include:
A lack of understanding and sensitivity to the problem.
There is a strong stigma attached to persons who suffer from mental illness of any kind.
They are frequently labelled as "lunatics" by society
As a result, the patients are trapped in a vicious cycle of guilt, anguish, and isolation.
According to the World Health Organization, India had 301 psychiatrists and 0047 psychologists for every 100,000 patients suffering from mental illness in 2011.
Treatment gap:
Nearly 92 percent of people who need mental health care and treatment do not have access to any type of mental health care, according to estimates.
In India, the economic cost of mental illness plays a key role in the treatment gap.
Both direct (long-term treatment costs) and indirect (patient and caregiver inability to work, social isolation, psychological stress) costs contribute significantly to the economic burden.
Conclusion:
In order to combat the burden of mental illness in India, stigma and awareness must be addressed simultaneously.
State mental health institutions, general hospitals, private practise, and non-governmental organisations may all work together to make the dream of universal mental health care a reality.
According to the World Health Organization, if we do not act quickly, depression will become the most common ailment on the planet by 2030.
Finally, treat everyone with kindness, compassion, and empathy.
Mental illness is real, difficult, and disabling, and it must be addressed and treated.
People should seek expert assistance as soon as possible.
Individuals will be able to live the life they deserve if a psychiatric disorder is detected and treated early.