{"id":30638,"date":"2024-10-10T17:25:40","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T11:55:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=30638"},"modified":"2024-10-10T17:34:36","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T12:04:36","slug":"world-mental-health-day-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/10-10-2024\/world-mental-health-day-2","title":{"rendered":"World Mental Health Day\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Health<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>World Mental Health Day is observed<strong> annually on October 10.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It was first initiated in <strong>1992 <\/strong>by the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH).&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This global observance aims to raise awareness about mental health issues and mobilize efforts in support of mental health care worldwide.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India is currently witnessing a <strong>surge in mental health disorders.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>According to The Lancet Psychiatry Commission, <strong>over 197 million people<\/strong> suffer from conditions <strong>such as depression, anxiety and substance abuse.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Economic growth<\/strong> has created new opportunities, but it has also intensified societal pressures and personal expectations.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As <strong>India\u2019s developmental aspirations rise,<\/strong> mental well-being is often overlooked, fuelling a <strong>crisis driven by materialism<\/strong> and a growing disconnect from community and self-awareness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Causes of Mental Illness<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Exposure to <strong>unfavorable social, economic, geopolitical and environmental circumstances <\/strong>\u2013 including poverty, violence, inequality and environmental deprivation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Over the past few years, <strong>the pandemic-led lockdowns and the uncertainties associated <\/strong>with them have had a detrimental effect on mental well-being<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Early adverse life experiences, such as <strong>trauma or a history of abuse<\/strong> (for example, child abuse, sexual assault, witnessing violence, etc.)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use of <strong>alcohol or drugs, having feelings of loneliness or isolation<\/strong>, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Family Dynamics: <\/strong>Dysfunctional family relationships and lack of support systems can negatively impact mental health.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The growing focus on consumerism<\/strong>, particularly in urban areas, has fostered a culture where luxury and conspicuous goods define status. This leads to <strong>feelings of inadequacy, stress and social comparison.&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>endless quest for affluence<\/strong> disconnects individuals from the essential elements of a meaningful life <strong>trapping them in a cycle of dissatisfaction.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Issue of Lack of Psychiatrists in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The World Health Organization\u2019s guidelines state that there should be at least <strong>three practising psychiatrists per one lakh population.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>As per the latest National Mental Health Survey (NMHS), which was conducted between 2015 and 2016, <strong>India has only 0.75 psychiatrists per 1 lakh population.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-rt.googleusercontent.com\/docsz\/AD_4nXcXSJKLRrEnmoo4l17z-bThZ_UKqQKlgcM4-SryPYi1tTIzZYDQ-Emcdr7GpGah1Qyuot2EVMbP4PxU_ECJ6STS_dRYfWnTJmYy7nStEvW6E9t-xqicJQk3sAtApT-7Q5nH-bsAl5FDKqUrNA7oAgxSaHlv?key=pWUFaShRagcGTku3tutWzA\" alt=\"Issue of Lack of Psychiatrists in India\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Among the <strong>BRICS nations, <\/strong>India is one of the two countries with the lowest number of psychiatrists per capita; the other is Ethiopia.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keeping aside factors such as attrition and unemployment, it would take India about<strong> 27 years to meet the WHO-recommended goal.&nbsp;<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If India wants to achieve this mark earlier, it requires policy intervention with adequate incentives to increase supply. <strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government of India Initiatives&nbsp;<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>National Mental Health Programme (NMHP): <\/strong>Launched in 1982, this program aims to improve mental health services through community-based approaches, enhance mental health care at primary, secondary, and tertiary levels, and raise awareness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Mental Healthcare Act, 2017: <\/strong>The act <strong>decriminalised suicide attempts<\/strong> in India and also included WHO guidelines in the categorisation of mental illnesses.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The most significant provision in the act was <strong>\u201cadvanced directives\u201d, <\/strong>which allowed individuals with mental illnesses to decide the course of their treatment.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It also <strong>restricted the use of electro-convulsive therapy (ECT),<\/strong> and banned its use on minors, finally introducing measures to tackle stigma in Indian society.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2017: <\/strong>The Act acknowledges mental illness as a disability and seeks to enhance the Rights and Entitlements of the Disabled.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Manodarpan Initiative: <\/strong>An initiative under Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, aims to <strong>provide psycho-social support to students<\/strong> for their mental health and well-being.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Kiran Helpline:<\/strong> The helpline is a <strong>step towards suicide prevention,<\/strong> and can help with support and crisis management.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>National Tele-Mental Health Programme:<\/strong> Launched in 2022, this initiative aims to provide mental health services through telemedicine, expanding access to care, especially in underserved and remote areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>For the first time ever, <strong>the Economic Survey 2023-24<\/strong> talked about mental health, its significance and implications on policy recommendations.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It emphasizes the need for effective implementation to accelerate progress in mental healthcare, addressing existing gaps to ensure maximum impact.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There is a need for an urgent and well-resourced <strong>whole-of-society approach<\/strong> to protect, promote and care for the mental health of people.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Killing the deep stigma surrounding mental health issues<\/strong> which prevents patients from seeking timely treatment.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Making mental health an integral part of the public health programme <\/strong>to help screen and identify high-risk groups and strengthen mental health interventions like counselling services.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Special emphasis on schools: <\/strong>Pay special attention to groups that are highly vulnerable to mental health issues such as children facing domestic or sexual violence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Collective action, community as solutions: <\/strong>To address this crisis, we must shift focus from individual success to collective well-being.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Addressing India\u2019s mental health crisis requires rethinking what it means to live a good life.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>We must challenge the materialistic notion of success and refocus on mental, emotional, and social well-being.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/opinion\/lead\/mental-health-in-indias-material-world\/article68737593.ece#:~:text=India%20is%20currently%20witnessing%20a,depression%2C%20anxiety%20and%20substance%20abuse.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>World Mental Health Day is observed annually on October 10.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-30638","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30638","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=30638"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30638\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":30651,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/30638\/revisions\/30651"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=30638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=30638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=30638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}