STIGMA AROUND MENTAL HEALTH IN INDIA

SUBMITTED BY – SHUBHANGI DIXIT

CLASS AND SECTION – BBA HONOURS B

ROLL NO. – 2224267

In a recent editorial, Indian journalist Manu Joseph questioned significant historical
intellectual advancements, contending that they were nothing more than the delusions of
schizophrenia. He poses the rhetorical question: "What if many concepts that we now refer to
as philosophies originated from a mental illness? What if those in positions of influence do so
mostly due to mental anomalies? What if all of our turbulence is the result of the sane striving
to imitate the insane?” He continues by stating why he rejects human traits like empathy and
compassion, which are thought to be essential to humanity. The contemporary world of
humanitarian lament, too, contains players who have been diagnosed with a variety of mental
disorders that render them highly persuasive narrators. Many people hold the opinion that
because of their hardship, they are more sensitive to the issues of others. This is untrue.
Simply said, self-absorption and self-obsession are the same thing as empathy. Because it is
what they perceive and what gives them comfort, the sick construct a gloomy world. In
Joseph's view, those who work to better living situations for the less fortunate are all
suffering from mental illnesses in addition to empathy. In a different one of his writings,
Joseph makes the implication that the world-changing passion of environmental campaigner
Greta Thunberg is motivated by the mental disorder Asperger's syndrome. Many instances of
this excessive charity, according to Joseph, "are not at all a result of sanity." "They are acting
in this way because they are powerless to stop; their mental health is having an impact on
them." He alternately employs the terms "schizophrenic," "crazy," "mental disorder," "mental
abnormality," and "paranoia," paying no attention to how they are used in medical
terminology. These words are weaponized and used as slurs in his vocabulary. He made
clumsy attempts at psychoanalysis, Joseph unwittingly offers us a glimpse into his own
psyche.
 Empathy is the capacity to understand what another person is thinking or feeling and
to react appropriately to those ideas and feelings. Lack of empathy makes people view others
as inanimate things. These are individuals who suffer from narcissistic, antisocial, and
borderline personality disorders. They are able to injure people physically and
psychologically and are unaffected by the suffering of those they do it to. Under no
circumstances should mental health be joked about, but this is less true in India, where nearly
one in three persons seeking medical attention may be depressed, indicating that roughly 23
million people may require mental health care at any given moment. According to data from
the World Health Organization, India has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, with
over 220,000 deaths per year; there is a suicide among students in India every hour. The fact
that suicide tendencies are strongly linked to undiagnosed or untreated depression, bipolar
illness, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorder, and schizophrenia, all of which thrive
and spread in both urban and rural India, does not come as a surprise. In a nation of 1.3
billion people, India has a stunning treatment deficit for mental health, with only 5,000
psychiatrists and 2,000 clinical psychologists. In India, the budget for healthcare only
includes a pitiful 0.06% for psychological care. The figure is 0.44% in Bangladesh; while not
significantly higher, it is nonetheless better.

It is not surprising that mental health is not prioritised in a nation where basic necessities
like clean water, power, food, education, and housing are sorely lacking. However, deep
stigma, which crosses religious, class, caste, and gender boundaries, also contributes to the
denial and shame surrounding the topic. In order to allow people to seek therapy under the
pretence of religious activity and avoid the embarrassment of exposure, some village
initiatives have connected psychiatric services to the local temples. The callous and tone-deaf
views regarding mental health contribute significantly to the spread of this mentality. For
instance, Indian politicians and public figures frequently use phrases like "stupid," "deaf,"
"mentally sick," "retarded," "bipolar," "handicapped," "dyslexic," and "schizophrenic" to
disparage their opponents. The Live, Love, Laugh Foundation conducted a poll that revealed
disturbingly cruel and ignorant attitudes on mental health in India. In order to prevent
"contamination," 60% of respondents felt that mentally ill persons should "have their own
groups." The same percentage also thought that a lack of self-discipline and willpower was
one of the main causes of mental illness. Fourteen percent of respondents agreed with the
statement that talking to a mentally ill person could cause a normal person's mental health to
worsen, while forty-four percent of respondents believed that persons with mental illness are
always violent.

On a personal note I could summon the courage to write about my own mental health
traumas only because of the supportive environment that I had at home. I reside in a family
where talking about, writing about, or getting assistance for depression or other disorders is
not shameful. People are actually praised for confronting their issues and inspiring others to
do the same. Numerous people who lack that privilege are compelled to remain silent out of
fear of being shunned and excluded from their communities. Words have effects and
shouldn't be used carelessly since they could cause chaos in the lives of those who need
compassion and support. They are truly in a situation where a few careless words may make
the difference between life and death.

The idea is to challenge the stigmas associated with trauma. It is simply not safe to disclose
a traumatic past or signs of mental health problems if doing so may leave you open to
prejudice, bias, or revenge. Victim-blaming strategies will continue as long as there is silence
and denial about trauma. Protections for victims in society and the law [are] non-negotiable.
The government must make a long-term investment in the infrastructure for mental health,
which should include professional hiring and training programmes as well as encouraging
R&D initiatives. A healthier, more productive, and more hopeful people would be the very
real return on such an investment because there is no health without mental health. It is
crucial that all the well-established customs, rituals, practises, and social supports for mental
health are preserved in today's technologically advanced society. On the other hand,
addressing the shortage of mental health experts will be greatly helped by utilising the power
of medical technology of the twenty-first century. Telemedicine, virtual care, and smartphone
applications are a few examples. When it comes to giving patients with mental illnesses the
proper care, we need creative models to increase the penetration of services and staff as well
as mental healthcare interventions for the patients. Accredited social health activists (ASHA)
are one example, according to the Indian government's ministry of health and family welfare.
In accordance with this paradigm, community health professionals guide women and children
to the appropriate local expert by not just educating and sensitising them about mental
illnesses. They serve as a link between patients and the best care available to them. The
model still has to be scaled up and made gender-neutral, though (something which can be
easily replicated). Although the government has already taken some initial measures in this
area, a warlike approach is still necessary to solve the issue. We require ongoing funding in
order to spread knowledge about mental health concerns and persistent problems associated
with them. The public must be motivated to learn about mental health through initiatives like
the Swach Mansikta Abhiyan. They will be able to deal with mental health difficulties
quickly and effectively as a result, leading stress-free lives. The programme would also
compel people to discuss their mental health and, if necessary, seek help from a therapist or
psychiatrist. The only way to improve is by prompt action, awareness of the problem, the
availability of competent assistance, and proper policies. Therefore, it is crucial to believe in
and spread the idea that persons with mental illness deserve to lead confident, dignified lives.
To significantly alter things, a joint public-private-social alliance is needed. It’s a long road
ahead that we all as responsible citizens of India and most importantly as human beings need
to travel together , just like Noam Shpancer has rightly said - "Mental health…is not a
destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going."

References
1. We don't take mental health seriously here in India. (2021, August 27). Times of
India. Retrieved October 4, 2022, from
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/mohsin666/we-dont-take-mental-
health-seriously-here-in-india-36867/
2. Why Is Mental Health Stigmatized in India? (2018, December 7). Practo.
Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://www.practo.com/healthfeed/why-is-
mental-health-stigmatized-in-india-36798/post
3. The Worries of 'Log Kya Kahenge?' on Mental Health. (2018, May 11). The Wire.
Retrieved October 4, 2022, from https://thewire.in/health/social-factors-behind-
the-stigma-that-surrounds-mental-health-in-india