Mental Health Epidemic in India

In India, mental health has long been a topic that has never made it to the conversations. If it was at all mentioned, it was discussed uncomfortably in hushed up tones. There was always an undercurrent that the issue needs to be discussed, but the reality was that the inclination was more towards sweeping it under the rug rather than visiting a psychologist. The issue used to be shoved aside as visiting a psychiatrist would give you the title of “mad.”

India is one of the fastest growing countries in the world, and this pressure of development is felt equally by the gen-y and the millennials. There is surmounting pressure of work, the zeal to be at the top and over-competitiveness which amalgamates into daily stress and burden leading to increasing cases of nervous breakdowns and depression. Speaking at an event, our honorable President, Mr. Ram Nath Kovind warned that the country is facing a possible mental health epidemic and the number of mental health affected people in India can together surpass the population of Japan.

So, what is to be done in case of such epidemics? What did the people do in case of epidemics like swine flu or dengue? Everyone from the top medical professionals to the common man has been on high alert to vigorously deal with the situation and bring it under control. But when you call mental health as an epidemic in the country, you mostly find silence all around. The fact of the matter is that the mental health issue is still not seen as an ailment like any other physical disorder. And that is exactly where the root of the problem lies. No one asks the patient affected by dengue to not make a big deal out of it. But, you will frequently hear patients affected by acute depression or stress being told that it is just another ‘phase’ and they will eventually come out of it on their own.

The problem is further compounded by the lack of professionals working in the field. There exists a glaring gap between the numbers of mental health professionals needed and the number that is currently present in the country. Going into the figures to prove the facts, the President said that there are roughly 5,000 psychiatrists and 2,000 clinical psychologists in India whereas more than 10% of the population is suffering from one or the other mental health issue. In a country of more than 1.3 billion people, the numbers are astounding. This is a gloomy picture for the patients as even when they are ready to take on the help, they rarely find a professional psychologist nearby.

The rural-urban divide of the country also comes into the picture when discussing the stigma surrounding mental health. In rural India, the sight of people taking their children or other family members to faith-healers and temples is more common than ever, and this occurrence is seen more in case of issues related to mental health. The lack of awareness in the rural areas is even more than what you find in urban India. In rural areas and hinterlands of the country, people hardly even consider mental disorder an issue to be taken to the doctor. The aforementioned figures about the number of psychiatrists are mostly concentrated in the cities and towns and none to very few in the rural regions of the country.

The consequences of keeping the mental health issues under wraps are seen in the rising number of suicides in the country. The country has the highest suicide rate in the world. According to a report published by WHO, the estimated suicide rate per one lakh people in the country, falling in the age group of 15-29 years, was 35.5. The numbers are even more astounding for the student population with reports of one student suicide by the hour. The suicide helplines are flooded with calls every day from people of all ages, and some of them have never even thought of taking medical help to deal with their situation. If anyone near you is suffering from depression, you can be a great help by simply taking their feelings seriously and listening to their issues. Let your loved one know about the support services that are there to help him/her out. In case you feel that your friend is at risk of hurting himself or herself, seek help immediately. Inform the people near him or her and reach out to the emergency services by yourself.

All is not lost, and the awareness is on the rise since the past few years with the conversations taking place more in the open. Several new facilities dedicated solely to mental health have been inaugurated all over the country and planning is on to open more such centers in the near future. The stigma related to mental health and the lack of good psychiatrists has prompted many helplines and NGOs to come up. The numbers of the helplines are just a click away on the internet and no longer does a patient need to suffer in silence. To add to that, in the recent years, many celebrities have come forward with their stories of battling mental health issues and coming out stronger. All of these feel like a beacon of hope for a country that has swept mental health discussions under the carpet for the longest time.

But there are some bright rays of hope for the times to come. It is expected that by the year 2022, India will have higher coverage of clinical facilities treating mental health, and the epidemic would be brought under control to a greater degree. It is undeniable that when you look back at just ten years, the situations are much better today. We, as a country, have come a long way in dealing with mental health and there is still a long way to go for the nation.