Make mental health a Global priority; how far we have reached!
Make mental health a Global priority; how far we have reached!
Every year on October 10th, people all around the world mark World Mental Health Day to increase awareness of mental health issues. In India as well as other countries, it is customary to see awareness programs, seminars and talks on mental health during the week leading up to this day. But what is the genuine effect of such initiatives in our nation, when one in seven people suffers from a mental illness? What is the environment that these campaigns are operating in? Are they effective in encouraging those with mental illness propensity to seek help? Can they dispel the myths and misunderstandings surrounding mental health?
This year World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH) introduce a theme - make mental health a global priority ?One of the United Nations' sustainable development goals, ensuring healthy lifestyles and fostering well-being for all people of all ages, is in line with this issue. The subject highlights several crucial issues that our present strategy for mental health must address. Perhaps "priority" should be the utmost component.
The discourse about global policy must immediately include mental health as a central topic. As of 2020, the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide was predicted by the UN to rise by 25% The statistics are significantly worse for India. According to the 2016 National Mental Health Survey, 14% of Indians require mental health therapies. In our nation, 100,000 people commit suicide annually. According to 2020 Lancet research, 2 out of 5 Indians are suffering from mental illness.
According to the WHO assessment, there are just 4,000 mental health experts in this 1.3-billion-person nation, which is insufficient to address the mental health issue. Additionally, there is a minimum of a 70% "treatment gap," which is the difference between the prevalence of mental health illness and the percentage of people who receive treatment.
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The issue of inclusion is brought up by another aspect of the WFMH topic. It's time we realized that mental health is a universal issue affecting everyone, not just those with the means to access it. It can't be restricted to just the wealthy, Western, Upper Class, or Upper Caste. Having access to treatment shouldn't be based on one's social standing. Mental health care is a fundamental human right.
Through the 2017 Mental Healthcare Act of India, the Indian government made an effort to address the present mental health problem from a policy perspective. Although the Act aims to provide access to mental healthcare, it gives private organizations more control, raising the cost of admittance to care facilities.
Penned by - Aditi Srivastava
shereal (social media executive)