Ram Gopal College of Pharmacy
Approved by- PCI, MHRD, Govt of India,
Affiliation from Pt. B.D. Sharma
University of Health Science, Rohtak, Haryana
State Government University
Mental Health
As times have
changed, we have begun to consider mental health an issue that needs to be
addressed, but that consideration comes from a very small portion of Indian
society. A lot of people don’t consider this matter a sensitive issue.
According to the study conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) around
200 million people in India may suffer from depression, i.e. one in five
people. No wonder we are the most depressed country in the world, as per
another WHO study. This is just the data of people who have spoken about it; it
wouldn’t be surprising to know if these numbers are even more. There can be
many reasons for why ‘Mental Health is ‘Not a thing’ in India, such as lack of
education, awareness, ignorance, pressure, social and cultural beliefs. There
are many observations that show families, friends, and parents don’t want to
listen. For instance, if a child goes to his/her parents talking about a mental
health issue; it will either be swept under the carpet, or they will just
create more panic. A recent study assessed of people’s attitudes towards mental
health and they were asked, how would you describe a person with mental
illness? 56% said someone who talks to themselves; 9% said depressed; 15%
called them retards; 20% called them crazy/stupid/mad. Now, this shows the
stigma attached to mental health in Indian society.
Around 200
million people in India suffer from depression! Are Indians taking their Mental
Health seriously?
There can be
many reasons for why ‘Mental Health is ‘Not a thing’ in India, such as lack of
education, awareness, ignorance, pressure, social and cultural beliefs.
There is still a
long way to go with the mental health care in India. However, with the passing
of the mental healthcare bill by the government of India, we hope that the
deprived section will have better access to services. As times have changed, we
have begun to consider mental health an issue that needs to be addressed, but
that consideration comes from a very small portion of Indian society. A lot of
people don’t consider this matter a sensitive issue. According to the study
conducted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) around 200 million people in
India may suffer from depression, i.e. one in five people. No wonder we are the
most depressed country in the world, as per another WHO study. This is just the
data of people who have spoken about it; it wouldn’t be surprising to know if
these numbers are even more.
There can be
many reasons for why ‘Mental Health is ‘Not a thing’ in India, such as lack of
education, awareness, ignorance, pressure, social and cultural beliefs. There
are many observations that show families, friends, and parents don’t want to
listen. For instance, if a child goes to his/her parents talking about a mental
health issue; it will either be swept under the carpet, or they will just
create more panic. A recent study assessed of people’s attitudes towards mental
health and they were asked, how would you describe a person with mental
illness? 56% said someone who talks to themselves; 9% said depressed; 15%
called them retards; 20% called them crazy/stupid/mad. Now, this shows the
stigma attached to mental health in Indian society.
Why don’t
Indians take mental health seriously?
1. Judgement and
Fear- Of course in a society that does not consider mental health an issue,
coming forward and speaking about it will take a lot of courage, as you will be
judged, and the fear of being abandoned is always there. Your own family and
friends will ignore this issue, and are sometimes not ready to listen.
2. Lack of
Empathy- People do not engage in an issues related to mental health, so they
lack empathy. Many a time when you are not aware of something, you just cloud
your mind with all possible assumptions most of which are negative. In order to
empathise, you need to understand, and in order to understand, we need to talk
and make people aware.
3. Stigma-
Statistics show that by 2020, India might house the highest population of
people suffering from depression and anxiety in the world. It is time that
people came out more openly and talked about mental health. The government
needs to provide better mental healthcare facilities, and remove the stigma
associated with it.
4. Sensitivity
and education- We need to educate people, and sensitise them towards the signs
and symptoms of mental illness, while normalising the idea of seeking support.
We should learn to create an inclusive environment for people with mental
health issues.
5. Expensive
treatment- For those who are aware and seeking help, the treatment process is
rather expensive. One needs to have a lot of time and money to buy medication,
and go for therapy, to avail treatment.
There is still a
long way to go with the mental health care in India. However, with the passing
of the mental healthcare bill by the government of India, we hope that the
deprived section will have better access to services. Things are changing
slowly and positively as many people have come forward and spoken about the issue.
Arti gupta
Assistant professor
College Address
College At:- Near Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary,
Farrukhnagar, Distt.- Gurgaon, Haryana
Phone:- 9818511778
Email:- rgcpcollege@gmail.com
Head Office
A1/11, Prashant Vihar Rohini,
Near Pitampura Metro Station,Opposite Power House
New Delhi, India-110085
