Mental health is a state of mental well-being enabling people to cope with stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn and work well, and contribute to their community.

Prevalence of Mental Health Issues

• According to survey, 10.6% of adults in India suffer from mental disorders, while treatment gap for mental disorders ranged between 70 to 92% for different disorders. (National Mental Health Survey 2015-16).
• Higher rates of mental health issues in urban areas as compared to rural areas and urban non-metro regions.
• In 2019, one in every eight people (or 970 million people globally) were living with a mental disorder. (WHO)

Factors affecting Mental Health

• Poverty via stressful living conditions, financial instability, and lack of employment opportunities.
• Rise in nuclear family, leads to psychological issues in elders due to lack of support system.

Impact 

• Reduced concentration among children’s (37%), due to overuse of smartphone, internet. (NCPCR)
• Reduce productivity in academics due to anxiety, mood swings etc. 
• Rising healthcare costs places an increased burden on poor households.

Suggestions to tackle Mental Health Issues

• Increase number of psychiatrists, from 0.75 psychiatrists per lakh population in 2021 to 3 per lakh population (WHO norm).
• Advocating for a bottom-up strategy engaging communities comprehensively.