India

Mental health becomes a challenge

Being stressed and angry is an innate human nature. But if these are not taken care of, then the problems increase. The rapid increase in the cases of depression in India today, especially among children and youth, is the result of this that we do not know the mental diseases in time.

Manoj Nigam

In today’s era, a large part of the population is becoming a victim of mental illnesses in some form or the other. The matter of concern is more because now children are also falling in the grip of mental problems. Whatever be the reasons, but the rapid increase of mental problems and diseases is a matter of serious concern for the society and the government. The ever-increasing incidents of depression and suicide are enough to show the gravity of the situation. In view of the deepening crisis related to mental health in the recent past, the governments have woken up, but looking at the scope of the problem, it seems that a lot needs to be done to get people out of mental problems and keep them healthy.

To deal with the crisis of mental health, not only the governments but also the society has to come forward. The need to take this seriously is also because the World Health Organization (WHO) has already warned that in a few years, a mental health-related illness – depression will become the second largest disease in the world. A report by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) two years ago suggests that one out of every seven Indians is suffering from some mental disorder. These figures may be even more shocking given the magnitude of both waves of Kovid-19 infection.

Due to the fear of third wave, almost all the states of the country have given permission to open most of the educational institutions with rules and conditions and some are in preparation for it. In the last twenty months, society has lost a lot and gained a lot of experiences and lessons. Among them are crores of children who stayed away from school, college and studies. Didn’t even get a chance to learn together. Young children were deprived of the mid-day meal provided in the school. Now when educational institutions are opening, it is also being seen that the children, teachers and environment are not the same as they were before the pandemic. In such a situation, giving sympathy and support to children and teachers in taking care of their physical and mental health is the first need today.

Keeping these problems in mind, all the institutions from the government level are moving in the direction of removing the problems of mental health of children, teachers, educational workers and general public. In the last twenty months, various psychiatrists, educationists and social workers have also come to the conclusion that it is necessary to interact and sensitize different sections of the society about mental health. As long as people are not informed about mental illnesses, they will remain unaware of it and the disease will go on increasing day by day.

One of the major obstacles in dealing with mental health problems is that people do not realize that they are being surrounded by some mental illness. When the problem becomes too much, then they reach a doctor. So today the first need is to make people aware about mental health. At the same time, there should also be an idea about how to support each other to maintain enthusiasm and positivity in these difficult situations, how to take care of oneself and how to get rid of mental stress.

Being stressed and angry is an innate human nature. But if these are not taken care of, then the problems increase. The rate at which the cases of depression are increasing in India today, especially among children and youth, are the result of this that we do not know the mental diseases in time. There are a variety of experiences about different reactions during stress, such as some people break things, some start abusing, close the door, cry, stop speaking.

On the other hand there are people who listen to music, go out for a walk, hum in a state of stress. Many studies have revealed that during an epidemic, there is increased irritability, more panic and guilt when unable to do something. All this was also seen during the pandemic. The kind of news, information that has been being seen and read for a long time regarding the Corona epidemic, has created a scary atmosphere. There was also concern among teachers about the educational backwardness faced by children and their inability to help children with special needs. That’s why the pandemic has taught everyone the first lesson that how important it is to keep our mental health strong in such adversity.

The crisis that people have faced during the last twenty months in the country and the world includes loss of livelihood, health, worry about the future, dominance of bad thoughts, lack of sleep due to fear, lack of concentration, loss of hopes Problems like emotional instability have been prominent. Due to this, stress and stress-related diseases have increased a lot in people. Therefore, the first task should be to make aware of mental health from children to elders. Social organizations, NGOs and small groups can play a big role in this direction. This work is also happening in many places.

To say that the governments have been organizing events like Mental Health Awareness Day, Week in the past, but these do not look like anything more than Kagji Khanapuri. Therefore, the society itself needs to take the responsibility of this. There is a need to increase the number of mental health workers. People have to be understood that we cannot change the circumstances, but by trying to deal with adversity, we can create the power to change the situation. If people are aware of mental health, then even if there is a slight problem, they will not hesitate to seek medical advice.

The National Education Policy 2020 also states that when children are malnourished or ill, they become unable to learn optimally. Hence the focus will be on the nutrition and health (including mental health) of the children. It also calls for nutritious food, well-trained social workers and community participation in the school education system. Health check-up of all school children will be done and their health cards will be issued. Basic training in health including preventive health, mental health, good nutrition, personal and public hygiene, disaster response and first aid will also be included in the curriculum.

It is expected that the education departments of different states will prepare and implement meaningful and practical plans on the issue of mental health while implementing the new education policy. It is being said that after the Second World War, the biggest reduction in life expectancy has come during the Corona epidemic. Obviously, it will take a long time to get out of the current crisis. In such a situation, it is natural to increase the expectation of help from the governments.

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