22/06/2020 - Health

KEY POINTS

·         Suicide and substance use related mortality accounted for most of deaths, driven by growing inequality, the weakening position of labour, deep polarisation of society and the lack of prospects for the future.

·         Mental health problems were already a major contributor to the burden of illness in India before the pandemic, with a third of all female and a quarter of all male suicide deaths in the world occurring in this country.

·         Most of this illness and death goes unnoticed. Celebrity suicides and testimonies attract our attention to mental health because it is the only explanation we can invoke for people who are so privileged. Of course, it is the poor, dispossessed and marginalised who bear the greatest burden of mental health problems, but we have historically dismissed their suffering as a natural extension of their social and economic conditions.

·         While there has been a flourishing of initiatives to address the rising tide of mental health problems, most notably through telemedicine platforms, they rely heavily on mental health specialist providers who are very scarce in number and often unaffordable.

·         This is compounded by the digital divide: Digital literacy and adequate internet connectivity remains a distant goal for large swathes of our people. Still, these initiatives are welcome for their demonstration of the feasibility of remote delivery and the value of psychological therapies, which have historically played a poor cousin to medication.

·         There are some general principles to overcome mental health problems. Be aware of and acknowledge your mental health, as much as you do your physical health. Feeling irritable for no reason should be as important to you as feeling pain in your chest.

·         Talk to someone, anyone you feel comfortable with, for “It’s Ok to Talk”, a slogan coined by Sangath to promote the idea that sharing one’s story about mental health is not only a powerful way to feel better, but is also the most effective strategy to reduce stigma.

·         Do something for others, for science has shown that care-giving and community service not only makes your life more rewarding, but also longer.

·         Remind yourself that all of humanity is being buffeted by the same rough seas and, even if some of us travel in yachts, the overwhelming majority of us will safely reach the shore.

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