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On World Mental Health Day it’s proven every sixth person in India needs mental-health help

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India is standing on the threshold of a mental health epidemic with a greater number of people affected by mental health issues in the country than the entire population of Japan.

According to 2015-16 National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) survey, every sixth person in India needs mental-health help. To compound the problem, India has just about 5,000 psychiatrists and less than 2,000 clinical psychologists. And this is just the tip of the iceberg!

According to the NMHS survey, people in the lower income group suffer more from mental health problems and these are the people with least access to mental health treatment. Have you ever thought that the maid who works in your home, the sweeper who keeps your lane clean, and the rickshaw-puller who takes you places needs mental health treatment support? Poverty, domestic violence, alcohol and drug addiction and the very stigma of being underprivileged takes a toll on these people.
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Another point is that mental health problems can affect all age-groups. What is really worrying is that, today, India’s children and youth are more stressed and suffer from anxiety and panic attacks and performance issues more than ever before. If our children and youth are not mentally strong, how can we build a strong nation?

Also, the common man is over-stressed with family responsibilities and work pressure, and has less time to socialise and de-stress. Road rage is becoming common. Couples in unhappy marriages are growing but never go to a marriage counsellor. Children are growing up with both parents working, sometimes in different cities, and the close knit joint family system is dying out. Family counselling is an unheard of concept in India. While social media keeps people connected, it builds additional pressure to project only the best.

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Despite this alarming scenario, mental health continues to be a taboo topic with immense stigma attached to it. While people brag about their medical conditions like heart disease, surgeries, ICU stays and the like, they treat a mental health problem like a guilty secret to be pushed under the carpet. People do not know the difference between a mental health issue and madness. Also, our films and comedy shows have stereotyped mental health as something that is either dangerous or something to be ridiculed.

Also, despite the Mental Health Care Bill 2016 mandating state governments make mental healthcare affordable for all, the cost of treatment continues to be high and beyond the reach of the common man. No wonder mental health schemes and mental healthcare are not so advanced in India, as in the Western world.

India needs web-based online portals such as the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) to reach out to its vast population. More affordable treatment options are required, along with affordable rehabilitation centers like the National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation (NIMHR) which received cabinet approval earlier. Mental health awareness campaigns are the need of the hour.

Today, we need to open up and talk about mental health problems. We need to teach our young that having a mental health issue is as normal as having a cold. They need to talk freely and support their peers. The country needs to advance not just in technology but in the way it approaches and accepts mental health issues as part of everyday life.

The time to begin is now.

Corona

Covid toll in Karnataka is a worrying sign for state government

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Even though Karnataka recorded the lowest number of Covid deaths in April since the virus struck first in 2020, the state is recording a rise in the positivity rate (1.50 per cent). Five people died from the Covid infections in April as per the statistics released by the state health department. In March, the positivity rate stood around 0.53 per cent. In the first week of April it came down to 0.38 per cent, second week registered 0.56 per cent, third week it rose to 0.79 per cent and by end of April the Covid positivity rate touched 1.19 per cent.

on an average 500 persons used to succumb everyday in the peak of Covid infection, as per the data. Health experts said that the mutated Coronavirus is losing its fierce characteristics as vaccination, better treatment facilities and awareness among the people have contributed to the lesser number of Covid deaths.

During the 4th and 6th of April two deaths were reported in Bengaluru, one in Gadag district on April 8, two deaths were reported from Belagavi and Vijayapura on April 30. The first Covid case was reported in the state in March 2020 and three Covid deaths were recorded in the month. In the following month 21 people became victims to the deadly virus, and May 2020 recorded 22 deaths. The death toll recorded everyday after May crossed three digits. However, the third wave, which started in January 2

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