Just 41% of them felt it’s good to get support for mental health problems

Around 14 per cent of 15 to 24-year-olds in India, or 1 in 7, have often felt depressed, but the situation got worse for them during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. And yet just 41 per cent were willing to take support, compared to an average of 83 per cent surveyed from 21 countries, according to UNICEF report on mental health “The States of the World’s Children 2021” released by Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday here.

“Fear. Loneliness. Grief. As the coronavirus pandemic descended on the world in 2019, these powerful emotions enveloped the lives of many millions of children, young people and families,” the report said. “In the early days especially, many experts feared they would persist, damaging the mental health of a generation. In truth, it will be years before we can really assess the impact of Covid-19 on our mental health.”

The survey, carried out for UNICEF by Gallup in 21 countries in the first half of 2021, found that Indian youth are less willing to share their feelings of lowness.

“A median of 83 per cent of young people (15 to 24 years old) agreed it was better to deal with mental health problems by sharing experiences with others and seeking support; by contrast, only 15 per cent felt such problems were personal and should be dealt with on one’s own,” it said. “Among the 21 countries, India was the only exception, with only 41 per cent of young people supporting the sharing option.”

Releasing the report, Minister Mandaviya said, “Mental health has widely been discussed in our Sanatan culture and spirituality. The mutual development of mind and body has been explained in our texts. A healthy mind resides in a healthy body. We are very happy that today UNICEF has released a global report on the mental health of children.”

He added as the trend of nuclear family instead of joint family has increased in our society, mental health problems have become frequent in children. “Today parents are not able to give enough time to their child, so we need to talk about mental health,” he said.

Mandaviya further said, “To build a better and developed society, it is necessary to keep monitoring the mental health of children from time to time. For this, arrangements will also have to be made for better mental health of teachers in schools. Because, children trust their teachers the most”.

Sharing his experience, the minister said that he as the health minister faced mental pressure during the second wave.

He continued saying, “People’s problems shook me. After that I started doing yoga and cycling in the morning. It is my request to all that you also examine the problems of your mind and work for its betterment. Spend enough time at home with your children. Talk to them in a friendly atmosphere.”

The report noted that as the Covid-19 Pandemic heads into its third year, the impact on children and young people’s mental health continues to weigh heavily. Through the pandemic, children have had limited access to support from social services due to lockdown measures. The disruption to routines, education, recreation, as well as concern for family income and health, is leaving many young people feeling afraid, angry, and concerned for their future.

A recent WHO report provides evidence about the same. India is the most depressed country in the world, leaving the USA and China behind. The maximum cases of anxiety, schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorders were found in India, with most cases going unreported. With 6.5% of the population suffering from some form of mental illness, this goes on to prove that there is a huge gap between patients and mental health care professionals to be filled. The ratio is quite staggering, with 1 doctor for every 1,00,000 patients.