With COVID-19 pandemic all around us, times are getting tough. Isolation, fears, worries about health concerns, financial insecurity, growing rates of unemployment, increased marital and relationship discords, and uncertainty about the future, have severely affected mental well-being. Vulnerable groups like migrant workers, farmers, small businessmen, and other socially and economically weaker sections of society, are particularly at higher risk for acquiring mental illnesses.
One of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of mental health care in India, is the stigma that is attached to mental illness. Riding alongside this stigma are the negative stereotypes about individuals with mental illnesses. There is a lot of mystery attached to the idea of mental health and mental illnesses. People have come to view mental illness from an increasingly fuzzy lens, as something that is distant and not understandable.
Adding to this confusion, is the acute shortage of mental health professionals. According to a study by WHO (2011), there are only 0.3 psychiatrists and 0.04 psychologists for every 1 lakh patients suffering from mental health disorders in India. Until we are able to get a sufficient number of trained mental health professionals and the resources necessary to address the acute needs of India, we need to urgently explore ways of coping with this ever growing demand.
Mental health interventions are still primarily limited to the urban areas and higher socio-economic sections of society. What is needed is for conversations about mental health to percolate down to the rural areas, to the small towns and villages of India. Facilities for addressing mental health needs should be all pervasive and inclusive in nature. We need to find ways to demystify the confusion and uncertainty surrounding mental illnesses.
The need of the hour is to create an ecosystem of effective, affordable, inclusive and safe mental health spaces, for everyone, everywhere. India’s greatest strength is its population, and with it, comes it's historically core values of collectivism and interdependence. Harnessing the strength of the community, could pave the way for the future of mental health in India. Addressing mental health at the level of communities has the strength of promoting mental health awareness and well-being, as well as, preventing mental illnesses. Individuals who have experienced mental illnesses could form peer networks, to spread awareness and offer support to one another. Identifying target groups of vulnerable populations, and developing community specific campaigns to recognize signs and risk factors for mental illness could go a long way. One of the great initiatives by the government of India is launching a 24x7 helpline called KIRAN, which would connect individuals seeking help to mental health professionals round the clock. There are already a few states in which community workers are actively engaging with local women and children, spreading awareness about mental health, identifying the signs of mental illnesses and ways to seek treatment for its redressal.
India is headed towards a journey of mental health transformation, and it is up to us to get together as a community and contribute towards this journey.
Harikrupa Sridhar is a Clinical Psychologist in Training (MPhil), based in Bangalore.
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