Thread by @PARInetwork

Let's talk about #Mentalhealth in #India. ruralindiaonline.org/library/resour…

In 2015, 322 million ppl worldwide were affected by #depression. Of these, 57 million people or 18% were from India.

There is no single identifiable cause–several biological,social, economic,cultural & environmental factors can contribute to it. At its worst,depression can lead to suicide.

This report by the India office of the World Health Organization (WHO) examines the characteristics and impact of depression in the country, which affects people of all ages, genders, socio-economic groups and religions.

#Depression manifests in different ways depending on its severity, the individual’s socio-cultural context and his or her age. This, the report says, makes recognising it challenging. For instance, children with depression have different symptoms compared to adults.

Symptoms of depression include feelings of sadness, reduced interest inactivities, fatigue,loss of self-esteem, unreasonable guilt,recurrent thoughts of death/suicide,diminished ability to think, disturbed sleep, gloomy perceptions of the future,fluctuations in appetite &/weight.

The National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 by the @MoHFW_INDIA shows that rates of #depression are higher among women than among men across all age groups. The difference reaches its peak in the 40-49 age group – 4.19% of women & 3.04% of men have depressive disorders.

#Poverty & #Mentalhealth are part of a vicious cycle. People with common mental disorders like #anxiety & #depression are more likely to become poor due to increased health expenditure, loss of productivity,reduced social support & the stigma associated with their mental illness.

#Poverty, on the other hand,exposes individuals to social exclusion, #malnutrition, obstetric risks & a higher risk of violence, among other factors, that could lead to depression.A lack of access to good-quality & continued mental healthcare contributes to this vicious cycle.

The NMHS 2015-16 found over 50% of ppl who had #depression said that their condition interfered with daily activities. The survey also spoke to people caring for those with depression. Of these, 77% reported problems with finances,& their family’s leisure,routine and interaction.

A #Mentalhealth treatment gap refers to a situation in which individuals with psychiatric disorders remain untreated although effective treatments exist for them. In India, there is a treatment gap of 86% for depression & 80% for any ‘suicidal risk behaviour’.

India has an acute shortage of #Mentalhealth professionals – there are only 0.07 psychiatrists and 0.12 psychiatric nurses for every 1,00,000 people. Often, these professionals have insufficient or no training in dealing with #depression. #MentalHealthAwareness

The country also doesn’t have an uniterrupted supply of essential psychotropic drugs, efficient referral systems, counselling services and continued care for #patients. #MentalHealthAwareness

The report recommends educating the public to improve its #Mentalhealth , helping patients with ‘social participation’, educating and supporting caregivers, improving awareness in the #workplace, and training #healthcare providers. ruralindiaonline.org/library/resour…