{"id":36623,"date":"2025-02-01T19:47:39","date_gmt":"2025-02-01T14:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=36623"},"modified":"2025-08-05T13:33:53","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T08:03:53","slug":"mental-well-being-and-economic-growth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/01-02-2025\/mental-well-being-and-economic-growth","title":{"rendered":"Mental Well Being and Economic Growth"},"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>The <strong>Economic Survey 2024-25<\/strong> highlights the connection between<strong> <strong>mental health <\/strong>and the country\u2019s economic future<\/strong>, emphasizing its impact on productivity, economic growth, and overall well-being.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The survey highlights how mental well-being influences workplace efficiency, lifestyle choices, and national economic progress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Understanding Mental Wellbeing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The survey defines mental well-being as a multidimensional concept that includes:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Emotional health:<\/strong> Managing stress and emotions effectively.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Social health: <\/strong>Building healthy relationships and a supportive community.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cognitive health: <\/strong>Enhancing focus, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Physical health:<\/strong> Maintaining overall fitness through a healthy lifestyle.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Rise in Mental Health Issues Among Youth<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The survey highlights the rising mental health concerns among India\u2019s youth due to:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Excessive internet &amp; social media use:<\/strong> Leads to anxiety, sleep disorders, and attention issues.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of family engagement: <\/strong>Weak social support systems negatively impact emotional well-being.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Hostile workplaces &amp; long working hours:<\/strong> Cause burnout, stress, and reduced productivity.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unhealthy lifestyle choices:<\/strong> Ultra-processed foods and lack of physical activity worsen mental and physical health.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img data-dominant-color=\"ece3de\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #ece3de;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"549\" height=\"234\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Rise-in-Mental-Health-Issues-Among-Youth.webp\" alt=\"Rise-in-Mental-Health-Issues-Among-Youth\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-36624\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Rise-in-Mental-Health-Issues-Among-Youth.webp 549w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2025\/02\/Rise-in-Mental-Health-Issues-Among-Youth-300x128.webp 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 549px) 100vw, 549px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mental Health and Economic Growth<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hostile work cultures and excessive hours spent working at the desk can adversely affect mental well-being and ultimately put the brakes on the pace of economic growth.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated that mental health disorders could lead to an economic loss of $1.03 trillion for India between 2012 and 2030.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India\u2019s demographic dividend is riding on skills, education, physical health and, above all, mental health of its youth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Suggestions<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A positive work environment can benefit mental health.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It calls for interventions at both school and family levels to encourage healthier lifestyles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promoting outdoor activities, building friendships, and strengthening family relationships can help reduce internet overuse and improve mental well-being.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>India\u2019s Mental Health Landscape<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>&#8211; For the first time ever, the <strong>Economic Survey 2023-24 <\/strong>talked about mental health, its significance and implications on policy recommendations.<br>&#8211; <strong>As per the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) 2015-16,<\/strong> <strong>10.6% adults<\/strong> in India suffered from mental disorders while treatment gap for mental disorders ranged between<strong> 70% and 92%.&nbsp;<\/strong><br>1. The prevalence of mental morbidity was <strong>higher in urban metro regions (13.5%) <\/strong>as compared to rural areas (6.9%).<br>&#8211; <strong>Lack of Psychiatrists in India: <\/strong>The World Health Organization\u2019s guidelines state that there should be at least <strong>three practising psychiatrists per one lakh population.<\/strong>&nbsp;<br>1. As per the latest National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) 2015 and 2016, <strong>India has only 0.75 psychiatrists per 1 lakh population.<\/strong><br><br><strong>Key Initiatives<\/strong><br>&#8211; <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.&nbsp;<br>1. 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;<br>2. It also <strong>restricted the use of electro-convulsive therapy (ECT),<\/strong> and banned its use on minors, introducing measures to tackle stigma in Indian society.<br>&#8211; <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.<br>&#8211; <strong>Kiran Helpline:<\/strong> The helpline is a <strong>step towards suicide prevention,<\/strong> and can help with support and crisis management.<br>&#8211; <strong>District Mental Health Programme (DMHP): <\/strong>Delivered in 767 districts, offering services like suicide prevention, stress management, and counseling.<br>&#8211; <strong>National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP):<\/strong> Launched in 2022 to provide access to mental health services through 53 Tele MANAS Cells across 36 states\/UTs.<br>&#8211; <strong>Expansion of Mental Health Capacity: <\/strong>Strengthening mental health services and educational resources in medical colleges and hospitals.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mental health is crucial for both personal and societal development.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Governments, employers, and organizations must continue efforts to improve mental health care access and reduce stigma.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India is making strides in mental health with policies and programs to address challenges and bridge treatment gaps.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pib.gov.in\/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2097865\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>PIB<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Economic Survey 2024-25 highlights the connection between mental health and the country\u2019s economic future, emphasizing its impact on productivity, economic growth, and overall well-being.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-36623","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\/36623","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\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36623"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36623\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50398,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36623\/revisions\/50398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36623"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36623"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36623"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}