Why is mental health not taken seriously in India?

In India, people with severe mental illnesses often turn to temples and shrines, not to doctors. The foremost reason for India to lose its mental health is the lack of awareness and sensitivity about the issue. There is a big stigma around people suffering from any kind of mental health issues.

Why should mental illness not be taken seriously?

Perhaps because mental illnesses are simply not as concrete as physical illnesses, they are often not taken as seriously. Contrary to this popular belief, mental illnesses are actual diseases that must be treated as seriously as a physical disease, such as cancer or heart disease.

Does India care about mental health?

Mental healthcare in India is a right secured to every person in the country by law. Indian mental health legislation, as per a 2017 study, meets 68% (119/175) of the World Health Organization (WHO) standards laid down in the WHO Checklist of Mental Health Legislation.

Is mental health still a taboo in India?

The taboo of mental illness in India

However, India seems to be far behind in terms of identifying and addressing mental health and the issues related to it. Depression and anxiety attacks are frequently tagged as minor inconveniences only faced by the uber-rich.

How do Indians perceive mental health?

The study showed that while 87% of the respondents showed some awareness of mental illness, 71% also used terms associated with stigma. This shows that stigma and awareness are two separate issues although interlinked. They need to be addressed in parallel in order to tackle the burden of mental illness in India.

Mental Health And Depression In India | Does India Really Care About Mental Health?

Why is mental health taboo in India?

In India, people with severe mental illnesses often turn to temples and shrines, not to doctors. The foremost reason for India to lose its mental health is the lack of awareness and sensitivity about the issue. There is a big stigma around people suffering from any kind of mental health issues.

Why is mental health looked down upon in India?

Mental illnesses in India have had a longstanding history of being looked down upon, ignored, trivialized, and highly stigmatized. Acceptance is often replaced with religious rituals, denial, name calling and victim blaming.

How common is mental illness in India?

In 2017, the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind asserted that India was “facing a possible mental health epidemic”. A study revealed that in the same year, 14% of India's population suffered from mental health ailments, including 45.7 million suffering from depressive disorders and 49 million from anxiety disorders.

Why is mental health a taboo subject?

"Among some immigrant and refugee families, discussions of mental health problems or mental illness is taboo, due to a cultural perspective that mental illnesses signify being 'crazy' or 'mad,' thereby preventing families from seeking help because of fear of bringing shame on the family," she says.

What is the important of mental health?

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

How big is India's mental health industry?

Indian mental health and wellness startups have garnered over US$ 28.24 with the decade's highest investment in 2021. The investment came in just three rounds. The highest investment made earlier in the segment was in 2019 of around US$ 12.36 in 7 rounds of funding.

How many people in India need mental health care?

Roughly 56 million Indians suffer from depression, and 38 million suffer from some anxiety disorder. India has one of the highest prevalences of mental illnesses globally. The National Mental Health Survey 2016 found that close to 14 per cent of India's population required active mental health interventions.

How common is anxiety India?

In 2017, 197 million Indians were suffering from mental disorders, of whom 46 million had depression and 45 million anxiety disorders, according to the study whose findings were released on Monday.

Why don't we talk about mental health?

Why is it so hard to talk about mental health? The prevalence of stigma and discrimination toward people with mental illness makes it difficult to have a transparent conversation about how we feel.

When was mental health taken seriously?

The Realization of an Idea. The term mental hygiene has a long history in the United States, having first been used by William Sweetzer in 1843. After the Civil War, which increased concern about the effects of unsanitary conditions, Dr.

What happens if we ignore mental health?

Living with a mental illness isn't easy. If you neglect your mental health, it's easy to neglect your physical health. Chronic stress has been linked to a higher risk of strokes, heart attacks, and obesity. While mental illness might be in your brain, it affects your entire body.

How can we break the stigma of mental health?

What is mental health stigmatization?

Mental health stigma refers to societal disapproval, or when society places shame on people who live with a mental illness or seek help for emotional distress, such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, or PTSD.

How culture can impact mental health?

Culture is related to mental health and substance use on several different levels. First, community members from different ethnic or cultural groups may have a higher risk of mental health or substance use problems because they may experience a greater number of stressors, such as discrimination and isolation.

Is depression common in India?

In India, the National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 revealed that nearly 15% Indian adults need active intervention for one or more mental health issues and one in 20 Indians suffers from depression. It is estimated that in 2012, India had over 258 000 suicides, with the age-group of 15-49 years being most affected.

How much percent of Indians are depressed?

"Copious amounts of stress can lead to depression. With the current lockdown and lifestyles drastically changing, we have seen that 43 per cent of Indians are currently plagued with depression and are learning to cope with it," the study said.

Why is therapy looked down upon?

While there are multiple reasons why, one is the fact that people avoid or forego mental health treatment, due to judgment, doubt, pride, fear, misinformation. Individuals fear judgment, change, the unknown, and what they might discover in therapy; additionally, they're too prideful to admit they need help.

What is social stigma?

Social stigma is the term given when a person's social, physical or mental condition influences other people's views of them or their behaviour towards them. Members of the general public may be uneasy with someone with epilepsy.

Is schizophrenia common in India?

In India, where about 1.1 billion people reside, the prevalence of schizophrenia is about 3/1000 individuals (Gururaj, Girish, & Isaac, 2005). It is more common in men, and in terms of age of onset, men tend to be younger by an average of about five years than women when they develop schizophrenia.

Which age group is most affected by mental health in India?

The age group between 40 and 49 years was predominantly affected (psychotic disorders, bipolar affective disorders [BPADs]), depressive disorders, and neurotic and stress-related disorders. The prevalence of substance use disorders was highest in the 50–59 years age group (29.4%).