Mental health issues are among the most overlooked and the least talked about in India. The stigma surrounding therapy and medication has made access to help extremely difficult and has also led to a lack of information and consideration about these problems.
Mental health can be affected by a range of socioeconomic factors, including quality of life, living conditions, and community support, with poverty and education being the key factors among these. A few psychological and genetic factors also a play a role.
The WHO estimates that at least 20% of India’s population is mentally ill, and that the suicide rate per 100,00 population is 21.1, and the economic loss due to mental health conditions is of $1.03 trillion (2012-2030).
Unfortunately, these issues have turned into a taboo, and have a terrible stigma surrounding them. According to a research conducted by the Live Love Laugh Foundation, 40% of the 3,556 people participants agreed with the statement, “frightening to think that people with mental problems live in our neighbourhoods.” A staggering 68% believed that people with mental illnesses should not be given any responsibility, and 44% of the people believed that people with mental illnesses are always violent.
What adds to the appalling mindset of the population is that India only has only 3,500 trained psychiatrists, and even fewer psychologists. This means that the ratio of psychologists to the general population is 3:1,000,000. This, combined with the stigma and discrimination faced by mentally ill people, prevents them from seeking professional help.
However, there has been a significant amount of awareness raised by organisations such as The Live Love Laugh Foundation, the MINDS Foundation, and The Banyan. These foundations work to remove the stigma surrounding mental health, and help and cater to the mentally ill by offering comprehensive mental health solutions. Despite all this, we still have a long way to go, and the only way we can improve the situation is by educating ourselves and supporting people with mental illnesses around us.
Sources:
http://www.searo.who.int/india/topics/mental_health/about_mentalhealth/en/
https://thelivelovelaughfoundation.org/about.html#objective
