The subject of mental health is vital for human well-being but its understanding is superficial; so is the research on the subject, which is often misplaced
The chilling dialogue “Yeh suicide nahin assassin hai sir” in a Bollywood movie is still fresh in our minds and is renewed from time to time. The film scene argues to combat mental health problems in the academic environment. The RANCHO character was right on the big screen and yet, the relevance of the dialogue is contemporary, terrifying and justifying. One of the ways to curb the threat of mental health problems is to encourage strong academic research. Academic research promotes learning by highlighting key issues in society. However, the scarcity of this type of research around the world remains a stark reality. The apathy of academic research towards the subject has not been adequately addressed. The precarious condition of the investigation continues unabated. Over the years, academic studies of mental health have been in balance. However, some of the researchers also think that their research area is vibrant and should have more investment in various facets.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that in 2019, 1 in 8 people, or 970 million people worldwide, were living with a mental disorder, anxiety and depressive disorders. However, in 2020, the number of people living with anxiety and depression disorders increased significantly, thanks to the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has brought unprecedented and incalculable damage to humanity. Mental Caring does not remain in silos, but international organizations such as the United Nations strive for this cause.
In a globalized world, the role of scientific explorations in an academic institution is characterized by its sustainability and development. It is imperative to foster such knowledge-driven growth based on innovation. The search for knowledge is the principle that drives the conduct of any type of research. The quality of the research work translates directly into the quality of the teaching and learning process in the classroom, which further benefits students, society and the country. When it comes to question that any academic research contributes to the domain of mental health and well-being, the research and publication process comes to the fore.
From the perspective of various researchers, academic studies of mental health in the research space remain low-quality and slow-paced, and have been grappling with certain issues. It is not limited to any country; rather, that academic plague has contaminated the academic fraternity on a global scale. The scientific survey or research process is riddled with deficiencies from literature review to publication. Literature review has its own position in the academic research process. However, several scholars face numerous problems as the existing literature is not adequate from several dimensions.
When it comes to research methodology, data collection on the subject is not logical due to certain structural bottlenecks. For the most part, the studies have been carried out with a quantitative approach, and the solid qualitative approach to the subject is downplayed.
Developing countries do not have adequate publication scopes compared to developed countries. Many interdisciplinary journals from developing countries do not pay the slightest attention to mental health problems. There is always a shortage of reviewers. Again, potential reviewers are not available on the domain.
Factors such as the shortage of qualified research supervisors in a particular area continue to be an obstacle in the academic research process. Some of the academics are not nuanced with the impact of new technologies such as artificial intelligence on the subject of mental health and well-being. Quality research requires funding. Academic career structures and research funding allocation processes essentially reflect merit-based competition among scholars.
It goes without saying that mental health and wellbeing is a major area of discussion. WHO’s call to action “Make mental health and well-being for all a global priority” for this year’s celebration of World Mental Health Day is well deserved. Prioritizing mental health will be more pragmatic if research and practice go hand in hand, and a holistic approach to mental well-being can be maintained. The entire academic research process and process must be healthy, ethical, and spearheaded by the greater interest of the human race.
The process of academic studies on mental needs must be balanced, ambitious and conscious. Children, gender and the geography of mental problems need to be addressed. Developing countries should match the publication with that of developed countries. Discussion on policy implications, community level issues and multidisciplinary considerations should be encouraged. Integrated care, evidence-based practices, cultural factors, and ethical and regulatory considerations related to mental health should be deliberated in research. In addition, it calls on all stakeholders to work cohesively to deepen the value and commitment placed on mental health, reshape research environments that influence mental health, and strengthen systems that care about mental health. .
(Biswal is Associate Professor and Head of Department, Journalism and Mass Communication. Behura is Assistant Professor, Gender Studies and Officer-in-Charge, Center for Counseling and Wellbeing. Biswal and Behura work at Rama Devi Women’s University, Bhubaneswar. expressed are personal)
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