Name – Aditya Prakash Verma

Email – adityaverma233@gmail.com

Course - B.A.LL.B

Contact – 9415280604 / 7985374542

Mental Health – The Next Pandemic

INTRODUCTION

“What mental health needs are more sunlight, more candor, and more unashamed
conversation”. The words by Glenn Close are of utmost importance today. Mental health is a
satisfactory level of psychological well being of an individual. It also includes the absence of
mental illness. In today's world where if a person dies due to lack of basic physical amenities, the
State is held responsible for not being able to maintain its citizens, there is almost no or very
little discussion of mental health, it is considered as a taboo. It is also submitted that the socio-
economic outcome of untreated mental disease is devastating. There are many reasons for mental
health problems in our society. This work will discuss them and their possible solution.

BACKGROUND

Amidst the coronavirus outbreak and its consequential economic meltdown and social isolation,
the thing that is taking the heaviest beating is mental health. According to reports from America,
people are suffering more due to mental issues than physical illness and financial problems. In
India too, we have started to see the effects of the prolonged lockdown. On Sunday, 14 June
2020 well-known actor Sushant Singh Rajput committed suicide in his house. Primary reports
suggest that he was suffering from depression. This is not the only instance where someone has
lost to life due to mental issues, if reports are to be believed there has been hundreds of death due
to loneliness and fear of being tested positive during the lockdown.

DEFINING MENTAL HEALTH

Many people have different views regarding the definition of mental health but all these views
are remarkable. For some, it is the mere absence of mental disorders whereas for others who
think of a more positive definition of the term are satisfied with the definition of W.H.O. on this
which says “Health is the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not
merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. In general, mental health comprises of our
emotional, psychological, and social well being. That state of well being referred here is one in
which one can cope with the normal stresses of life and do works that are productive and
contributive to the entire society. The mental disease lasts for a long time and their impact is felt
for the entire of the remaining life of the diseased person. The people who are suffering rarely
get access to any kind of treatment or medical facilities because of the other members of the
family attempt to hide it due to a sense of shame which leaves the patient vulnerable to abuse and
exploitation.

CAUSES OF NEGLECT

Whenever aids are being announced they always focus on the physical side of things and mental
health always remains an underserved cause in them. There are several reasons for this, firstly,
the stigma attached with mental health problems, the common conception of the society is that it
is attached to the person of the individual and there is something wrong with the person, very
little or no emphasis is given to the fact that it is just a disease like physical ones where we
consider disease and person as two different entities. Secondly, mental health is considered as a
luxury good i.e. they are the needs of people who are well versed with basic amenities. However,
it is submitted that this is not at all true but these kinds of complexities are worryingly common
in the minds of the people.

STATISTICS

It is estimated by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) that more than 300
million people across the globe suffer from depression, the disease which is the biggest dark
cloud over mental health, the number is equivalent to around 4.4% of the total population of the
world. Various studies point out that in India, 1 out of every 20 people is suffering from
depression. It also provides that nearly 14% of the population is suffering from some sort of a
mental health issue over their lifetime which means that at least 150 million Indians are in
immediate need of medical help. The most vulnerable group is adolescents and old age people.

MEASURES

Keeping in mind the massive burden of mental health and the present medical infrastructure
which is incompetent to tackle the situation, the social stigma attached and the shortcomings of
Medical Healthcare Act, 1987, the stakeholder decided to address the situation by an Act that
could provide better affordability and accessibility of mental healthcare, therefore the Parliament
enacted Mental Healthcare Act, 2017. This rule out section 309, Indian Penal Code, 1860 which
criminalizes an attempt of suicide by a mentally ill person. The act also provides various rights to
a mentally ill patient like that of access to mental healthcare services of good quality which is
convenient, affordable, and accessible. It also protects the patient from inhuman treatment by
providing free legal services and their medical records.

CONCLUSION

The way world is shaping due to COVID-19, it is not very difficult to come to the conclusion
that in the post COVID days the numbers of cases of mental health are going to increase
significantly beyond all research stats. This comes with an added responsibility for the society to
start preparing for these adversities. The paper suggests the following reforms:

a. Increasing awareness and knowledge of the people towards mental health and its
importance.
b. Better co-ordination between government agencies for quick identification of patients and
their due care.
c. Increasing the budget directed towards mental health by the government.
d. Society should stay away from unnecessary stigmatization of mental health.

It is very justified to end with a quote of Lisa Olivera which says “Just because no one else can
heal or do your inner work for you doesn’t mean you can, should, or need to do it alone”, and
therefore it’s our responsibility to help out people if they fall prey to these mental health issues.
Stay Safe.