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Mental Health Myths Busted

Ms. Mana Mehta

4 Min Read

Fast Check Fact Checked

The significant advances in the understanding of the notion of mental health and the science of psychology over the recent generations have been strikingly progressive and note-worthy. It is only now, in the post-covid era, can we appropriately say that mental health and addressing mental health concerns is at its peak. And while we say that, it is also essential to consider the fact that it still holds enormous potential towards exploring human behavior and understanding, which has not been tapped into yet and still is grappling with the stigma which persists in society.

If we assess the rate of advancements in the field of mental health, it seems to be slow. Without mental health, there can be no true physical health, said Dr. Brock Chisholm, the first Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), in 1954. More than 60 years later, little has changed in the situation. Neuropsychiatric illnesses are responsible for about 14% of the world’s disease burden. Because of a lack of awareness of the relationship between mental illness and other health illnesses, the burden of mental disorders is likely to have been undervalued.

Mental health is primarily concerned with human behavior, emotions, cognition, and how we perceive the world. Simply put, the focus remains on the health of our minds. The lack of awareness and misconceptions about this lingers around and defines mental health and mental illness as something it is not. In particular, if we are to put into perspective how mental health is viewed in India, we can see that according to the National Mental Health Survey Reports for the year 2016, the prevalence of mental health disorders in India was 10.6%. In India, there are thought to be 150 million persons with mental illness who need medical assistance. In comparison to the WHO recommendation of 1 psychiatrist per 100,000 people, India has a low mental health workforce with only 0.3 psychiatrists per 100,000 people. This calls for the dire need and urgency on the part of a community as a whole to take appropriate measures in terms of awareness and acceptance of mental health concerns.

Even while Article 21 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the protection of life and individual liberty, it currently does not clearly recognize the “right to health” as a fundamental right. Adding a new Article 21(B) to the Constitution is what the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2021 wants to do. There has been an increasing movement to recognize the “right to health” as a fundamental right in conformity with international treaties. In the past, a number of Lawmakers have promoted constitutional amendments in favor of a rights-based strategy for health.

Mental Health Myths Vs. Facts

To combat the myths that have been out there about this specific topic, let us dive deeper and factually understand what mental health is and what it is not!

Myth: Physical health is more important than mental health.

Fact: While physical health holds paramount importance in general for people, mental health surmounts to equal importance as the phrase says, “A sound mind in a sound body.”

Myth: You only need to take care of your mental health when you have a mental condition.

Fact: Precaution is better than cure, and that being said, there is no harm in fostering and promoting positive mental health and taking optimum steps to improve it.

Myth: Having a mental health issue is a sign of weakness; if a person were more resilient, they wouldn’t have it.

Fact: The lack of power or motivation has nothing to do with a mental health condition. Individuals are unable to choose whether or not to have it. In truth, it requires considerable courage and strength to admit that one requires help for a mental health condition. A mental health disorder can strike anyone at any time.

Myth: Those who suffer from mental illnesses have no chance of improvement.

Fact: Research has shown that persons with mental health conditions improve, and many make full recoveries. The process of being able to live, work, learn, and take part fully in society is referred to as recovery. More therapies, services, and social support networks exist today than ever before, and they are effective.

Myth: Self-help programs and therapy are ineffective. When you can just take a pill, why bother?

Fact: Depending on the patient, different medications, other types of therapy, or both may be used to treat mental health issues. Many people use a support network to aid in their healing and rehabilitation.

It can be essential to remember that we can play our part in the simplest of ways to destigmatize mental health concerns and bring about the correct understanding of them. The majority of the time, rather than being informed based on facts, other people’s opinions are based on a lack of comprehension. It can make a great difference to learn to embrace what you go through and identify what you need to do to treat it, seek assistance, and contribute to the education of others. Eventually, it comes down to the process of learning how to grow through what we go through!

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