The doctor-population ratio in India is 1:1456 against the WHO recommendat ion of 1:1000. This number multiplies many times over when it comes to mental health professionals. According to information available, there is just one mental health professional per 13,000 people in India, which clearly indicates that we, as a country, do not take mental health seriously.
And, with the pandemic seeing a steep rise in the number of cases, the situation has worsened further. Medical professionals, however, feel this is the best time to bring mental health to the forefront. “The pandemic has thrust mental health issues to the forefront and we hope it will help break the silence on mental health problems and usher in wider mainstream acceptance,” says Dr Prakriti Poddar, MD, Poddar Foundation.
Experts opine we must explore naturopathy and yoga to treat mental disorders. “Both these streams take a more holistic approach through structured exercises, dietary modifications and lifestyle changes and thus help overcome stress, and related issues,” says KR Raghunath, senior chairman, Jindal Naturecure Institute.
Pay attention
When we take care of our physical health, why ignore mental well-being?
“That’s just because we cannot see our mind like we see our hands or legs. For example, when we bruise or cut ourselves, we take it on priority because pain and blood loss scare us. Since the mind is difficult to catch with sensory organs, we ignore it,” says Dr Amoolya K Seth, psychiatrist, Columbia Asia Hospital, Ghaziabad.
“Also, people don’t realise that mental health can affect physical well-being too,” says Dr Preeti Singh, senior consultant, clinical psychology, Paras Hospital, Gurgaon, adding many people believe that mental health patients are dangerous for society. “The fact is that they are more at risk of being harmed by others,” she adds.
Seek help
Don’t feel ashamed in seeking professional help. “The Mental Healthcare Act 2017 gives everyone the right to access mental health treatment without facing discrimination. The IRDAI has also mandated insurance companies to treat mental illnesses at par with physical illnesses and provide reimbursement for treatments,” says Dr Poddar. Agree Dr Singh, “People with mental health problems can recover fully or are able to live with and manage them, especially if they get help early on.
Delay can lead to social isolation and affect work and social life. It may also lead to suicide,” she says. Stating that a happy and stress-free mind is critical for personal health as well as a healthy community, Dr Seth advises that you must “take care of your mind as you do for your body. After all, it is brain that controls our body.”
Shun stigmas
Brain is a complex organ and its problems are not as straight as fever or fracture. But mental health patients are just like you and me. Unfortunately, TV shows and films often link mental illness with violence or portray those with mental health issues as dangerous, criminal, evil, or disabled leading to these patients being stigmatised.
“Stigmas associated with mental health issues come from misguided views that these individuals are ‘different’,” from everyone else. It is still termed as a problem of fragile-minded people, so they don’t come out in the open, but that’s nowhere near reality,” shares Dr Preeti Singh. Agrees Dr Seth. “In earlier days, mental health patients were treated as outcast due to lack of treatment.
Though we are equipped to deal with these issues today, the age-old reservations fuel the associated stigmas and prevent people from discussing these issues,” he says. “Mental illness is still seen as an aberration, and outdated attitudes and beliefs which stop people from getting the professional have made it worse,” says Dr Poddar, adding the time is now ripe for us to break the silence and make mental health a part of the mainstream conversation, once and for all.