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“Have the discussions on mental health gained momentum? Yes. But my only concern is that this should not be like the song that comes now and will be forgotten later, ”warns Kamna Chhibber, a clinical psychologist, who admits that the conversations about mental health are immense now.
This year was a sea of changes thanks to the coronavirus scare. It disrupted our way of life, forced us to stay home together for months to be safe. And this was certainly not an easy task. However, one change we witnessed during the pandemic-induced shutdown and the months that followed was the increasing number of discussions about mental health.
“To some extent, the stigma may be decreasing. But I am concerned if we are talking about mental health in the right way. We still use terminology related to mental health in a very imprecise way. Furthermore, treatment is not fully understood and access remains a problem. There are policies and bills, the problem lies in implementation. In addition, we have to recognize that in our country there is a shortage of experts, ”says Chhibber, ahead of World Mental Health Day, which is celebrated on October 10 each year.
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As a community, we rarely discuss mental health issues openly. “Parents ask doctors not to tell anyone and not to comment on the prescriptions, saying that their family will judge the child or his upbringing. In our community, we still regard mental health problems as non-curable or lifelong illnesses, ”says Dr. Shweta Sharma, consultant clinical psychologist. And it is this stigma that makes one perceive mental health problems as one that only affects the “frail-minded,” says Dr. Preeti Singh, senior consultant for clinical psychology at a Gurugram-based hospital.
“People are still hesitant to talk about their mental health, as there is a stigma attached to the issue and the community still does not accept it as a serious health problem. It’s still seen as a problem for people with a fragile mind, ”he says, adding that awareness is the need of the moment.
Akanksha Chandele, consulting psychologist agrees. She says: “Awareness campaigns about the myths and facts related to mental health and therapy will encourage people to seek help. In addition, the launch of tele-counseling services will encourage people to take a step forward ”.
Echoing similar sentiments, Singh says that telepsychiatry can be of great help in addressing mental health problems in rural India. “Driven by Covid-19, the recent switch to telemedicine can also be used to provide advice. Teleconsulation not only ensures privacy and anonymity, but is also expected to reduce costs for patients, ”he adds.
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Meanwhile, Sharma feels that community mental health outreach programs in local languages are essential for raising awareness. “Some mental health programs should be included at the school level itself, so that students can see mental health as normal as we do physical health,” he says. To this, Chhibber adds, “the basic concepts of mental health and related terminologies must be introduced in schools. We need to seek methods that empower young minds. You can even talk to first and second graders easily about the basics. You can break it down in terms of life skills, resilience, etc. Schools are a very strong medium for reaching children of all ages. ”
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