Why is Mental Heath Awareness Important?

Mental Health illnesses are common in the Indian Community. The National Mental Health Survey -2016 found that overall lifetime prevalence of common mental health disorders is found to be 12.3% that strikes nearly 6 times higher when compared to lifetime prevalence of severe mental health disorders which is 1.9% . Further, it is estimated that 1 in 20 people in India suffer from depression. Untreated mental health illnesses can contribute to higher medical expenses, poor performance in school, college or at work, fewer employment opportunities, formation of habits such as drugs or alcohol and increased risk of suicides. Mental health disorders significantly affect people's quality of life and impose significant morbidity, disability and even mortality.

So what is Mental Health? The WHO has defined 'Mental Health' as " a state of well-being in which the individual realises their own abilities, can cope with the normal stress of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to the society". There are different types of mental illnesses, some of which are common such as anxiety and depression. Depression affects 3% of Indians above 18 years of age in a given year and is more common in females than males. Similarly, anxiety affects 3.5% of Indians aged 18 years and above and like depression the prevalence is higher in females than males.

Mental Health First Aider- offers help to a person developing a mental health problem or assists someone whose experiencing a worsening of an existing mental health problem. They assist in early intervention and prevention of mental health issues. They shouldn't be confused with professional help such as Psychiatrists or Psychologists etc as they are individuals who are available in our social network or office environment who are trained to recognise the cluster of symptoms of different mental health issues.

What can you do to help? Mental Health Stigma is still powerful largely due to lack of awareness, stereotypes and lack of education. Stigma not only affects the number of individuals seeking treatment but also the number of resources available for treatment. Here are some things you can do to help people around you:

1) Educating yourself and others about Mental Health and Well-being- This is a powerful tool to provide support to those affected in our families, at work and in the society. A lot of research material and books are available to help you learn about mental health. Many organisations are training their staff on Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) program. This provides a support system to employees to reach out to the MHFA for support and guidance.

2) Show respect and acceptance- thereby removing a significant barrier to help individuals cope with their mental health problems.

3) Listen and communicate without judgement- If someone approaches you with their problems, sometimes all they need is a non-biased listener. People who experience a turmoil of emotions need someone to listen to them em-pathetically without the fear of being judged.

4) Offer support and information- You may not have all the answers and you are not expected to have all the answers as well. What you need to provide is offer support and information. Connect them to professional help, if need be. Set an appointment for them. Give them hope and encouragement.

5) Promoting mental health awareness: This will ensure that people with mental health issues have the same rights and opportunities as other members of the community. Create awareness in your school, college and workplace about mental health and well-being. Be an advocate of mental health and promote it within your circle. There are a lot of movies available that talk about mental health and well-being. It is a good idea to introduce the same to your family, so it can be openly spoken about.

I do hope you all are doing your bit to create and increase awareness on Mental Health and Well-being. If not, it is never too late to start.