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Mental health
- About Mental health:
- It is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.
- Determinants of mental health:
- Multiple social, psychological, and biological factors determine the level of mental health of a person at any point in time.
- For example, violence and persistent socio-economic pressures are recognized risks to mental health. The clearest evidence is associated with sexual violence.
- Poor mental health is also associated with rapid social change, stressful work conditions, gender discrimination, social exclusion, unhealthy lifestyle, physical ill-health and human rights violations.
- Impact of Pandemic:
- The pandemic has increased isolation and loss of income which are well-known triggers of mental health conditions.
- The disease itself has been reported to lead to neurological and mental complications such as delirium, agitation and stroke.
- Data Analysis:
- Globally: In October 2020, WHO released the findings of a survey carried out in 130 countries which showed that the pandemic had disrupted or halted mental health services in 93 per cent of the countries.
- Early this year, WHO had also pointed out that countries were spending less than 2 per cent of their health budget on mental health.
- Only around 1 per cent of the international aid available for health is earmarked for mental health.
- The global economic cost of mental illness is expected to be more than $16 trillion over the next 20 years, which is more than the cost of any other non-communicable disease.
- Indian Scenario: A report published in The Lancet Psychiatry in February 2020 indicates that in 2017, there were 197.3 million people with mental disorders in India.
- The top mental illnesses were depressive disorder (45.7 million) and anxiety disorder (44.9 million).
- The contribution of mental disorders to the total DALYs in India increased from 2.5 per cent in 1990 to 4.7 per cent in 2017. Depressive disorder and anxiety disorder contributed the most to the total mental disorders DALYs.
- Various initiatives in this direction
- Global level: WHO supports governments in the goal of strengthening and promoting mental health. WHO has evaluated the evidence for promoting mental health and is working with governments to disseminate this information and to integrate effective strategies into policies and plans.
- In 2013, the World Health Assembly approved a “Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan for 2013-2020”. The Plan is a commitment by all WHO’s the Member States to take specific actions to improve mental health and to contribute to the attainment of a set of global targets.
- It is observed on 10 October and it provides an opportunity for all stakeholders working on mental health issues to talk about their work, and what more needs to be done to make mental health care a reality for people worldwide.
- Objective: To raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
- Initiatives Taken by India
- Mental HealthCare Act 2017: The Mental Health Care Act 2017 came into force from July 7, 2018, to meet the requirements of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which India ratified in 2007.
- It provides for mental healthcare and services for persons with mental illness and protects, promotes and fulfils the rights of such persons during the delivery of mental healthcare and services.
- This Act superseded the previously existing Mental Health Act, 1987 that was passed on 22 May 1987.
- National Mental Health Programme (NMHP): The Government of India launched NMHP in 1982, keeping in view the heavy burden of mental illness in the community, and the absolute inadequacy of mental health care infrastructure in the country to deal with it.
- The District Mental Health Program was added to the Program in 1996.
- The Program was re-strategised in 2003 to include two schemes, viz. Modernization of State Mental Hospitals and Up-gradation of Psychiatric Wings of Medical Colleges/General Hospitals. The Manpower development scheme (Scheme-A & B) became part of the Program in 2009.
- Objectives: To ensure the availability and accessibility of minimum mental healthcare for all in the foreseeable future.
- To encourage the application of mental health knowledge in general healthcare and in social development;
- To promote community participation in the mental health service development; and
- To enhance human resources in mental health subspecialties.
- ‘Kiran’: The Union Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry launched a 24/7 toll-free helpline ‘Kiran’ to provide support to people facing anxiety, stress, depression, suicidal thoughts and other mental health concerns.
- The helpline had been launched “in view of the growing incidence of mental illness, particularly in the wake of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
- Manodarpan Initiative: An initiative under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan aims to provide psycho-social support to students for their mental health and well-being.
- SAATHI: It is a South-Asian Mental Health Outreach Program of ASHA International that aims to:
- Promote awareness about mental health and emotional wellbeing
- Improve access to care, &
- Connect people to community supports and wellness resources
- The program supports people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan living in the Portland metropolitan area.
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