Breaking Taboos: Understanding and Addressing Mental Health Challenges Faced by Indian Men
International Men's Day was celebrated last week, on the occasion our team at [24]7.ai put together a conversation to discuss on a prevalent yet overlooked issue: the mental health struggles faced by Indian men. Despite the growing acknowledgment of mental health globally, Indian society often perpetuates taboos and stigma surrounding men's mental well-being. These are mainly because of our age-old cultural norms and stigma.
In India the cultural and societal norms discourage men from openly discussing their mental health. Traditional masculinity ideals often pressure men to suppress emotions, leading to a lack of acknowledgment or seeking help for mental health issues. The worry of “log kya kahenge?” what will people say stops Indian men seeking help and resort to silence. Since the beginning of Sep 2020, India’s Social Justice and Empowerment ministry run helpline “Kiran” reported that about 70% of the callers who sought help were men. The numbers clearly indicate that it’s time to change our age-old conventions telling men to ‘Man up’ and suppress mental health issues.
Indian men often silently battle mental health challenges due to the fear of being labelled as weak or facing social exclusion. The repercussions of this silence, are increased stress, depression, substance abuse, and in severe cases, suicide. As per studies mental health issues are seen at an early age of 14, which is worrying. It just gets worse when the societal expectations are placed on Indian men to be the primary breadwinners, leading to work-related stress, financial burdens, and an inability to prioritize self-care or mental health.
Even cultural beliefs and practices impact perceptions of mental health in India. The prevalence of misconceptions, spiritual approaches as the primary solution, and the lack of awareness about professional mental health support hinders Indian men from seeking mental health support. We need to create awareness on seeking help by a mental health professionals and break the social stigma associated with therapy or counselling. There are ongoing initiatives or campaigns in India aimed at breaking the silence around men's mental health and we need emphasis the urgency for a cultural shift in perceptions and advocate for open conversations to destigmatize men's mental health issues in Indian society.
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To provide actionable steps and resources for Indian men to prioritize their mental well-being I would like recommend some interesting resources which cover range of mental health topics and how to deal with it.
It is important to support Indian men for better mental health on International Men's Day and beyond. I urge all readers to encourage and actively participate in breaking taboos, initiating conversations, and creating a more inclusive environment that values men's mental well-being not just for you but for the future generation too.
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