Building a supportive environment for mental healthcare in India

The concern of ‘what others might say’ has been an ever present barrier in the way of people wanting to do anything freely.

Despite the passage of time that takes us to the third decade of the 21st century, this generalized mentality remains and sneaks into the simplest actions, preventing people from accessing opportunitiescare and live as they want.

Mental illnessOften the result of biological, social, economic, psychological and environmental stressors, it is one of the main public health problems.

Multiple people in the country are facing mental health challenges; however, they find it difficult to seek attention.

There are several barriers to accessing mental health care, and apart from several structural impediments, social stigma around mental illness and lack of mental health awareness contribute significantly to the mental health care gap.

social stigma it is often the result of mislabeling and misuse of terminology in everyday conversations.

It also facilitates inhibition, on the part of people who suffer from mental disorders and their families, to recognize or accept the condition and seek required mental health care.

Therefore, treatable mental health conditions go untreated, resulting in poor mental health, loss of quality of life, and even leading to suicidal ideation and actual suicides.

The research finds a direct correlation between the experiences of discrimination and suicidal tendencies, suicide attempts by those facing mental health problems.

The exact extent of stigma and consequent effects may never be quantified, but even with limited evidence, addressing it becomes the need of the hour.

Lack of awareness creates a fallacious understanding of mental illness: assumptions that only a visibly ill person is the one with “mental illness” and makes it difficult for others to accept their condition.

The defined image of a person with mental illness: bedridden, irresponsible‘crazy’, unsuccessful, prone to violence is often fueled by incorrect media representations. This detracts from the thousands who are thriving in other areas of life but continue to struggle with mental health issues.

The stories of Anthony Bourdain, Robin Williams, and Chester Bennington, among many others, are a testament to how seemingly happy successful people can have mental health problems and even die by suicide.

Experts attribute this to the constant pressure and burden of expectations they face. (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

The relief of mental health problems cannot be left entirely in the hands of mental health professionals; severity and impact on the demands of daily life holistic care that involves families, friends, workplaces and communities.

An unprejudiced attitude towards mental illness and a meaningful approach to mental health is only possible with the creation of behavioral change at the individual and societal level to address the treatment gap, such as stigma mitigation sits at the very center of the mental health landscape.

Acceptance is the first and most necessary step towards recovery, but the process becomes easier with the support of those around us.

Everyone must understand that people are more than their diagnosis and look at people through the narrow lens of dysfunction, caused by his mental health condition, oversimplifies the complexity of human behavior.

Encouraging those showing symptoms to get tested is essential and would help develop help-seeking behaviour.

Mental disorders (such as depression, anxiety) and suicides particularly affect young people, even though they may not always seek treatment or believe that help is helpful.

Channeling the energy of young people in reducing stigma and raising awareness is imperative and educational institutions can become centers for the same, using local language and common experiences to teach students about the possible causes of mental disorders, available services and how to interact with someone who may have a mental illness. .

Incorporate the information into the current educational curriculum can work to improve mental health literacy.

Other strategies should include promoting literacy and mental health awareness about services available in the communitiesincorporating an intersectional lens to understand the challenges associated with social identities, discussing the harmful impact of unsolicited advice, identifying underlying behaviors, and referring people to seek care in formal institutions.

Only when we begin to accept, beyond the nuances of gender, class and stigma, can we build a nation ready to respond to the challenges of mental health. properly.

*The opinions of the author expressed here are personal and do not represent those of the organization represented.

(Ms. Shubhrata Prakash, Author, Mental Health Advocate; Dr. Sukriti Chauhan, Executive Director, ETI)

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