Anxiety, depression, isolation: 50 Indians on biggest mental health challenges they've faced amid COVID-19 crisis
3 years, 9 months ago

Anxiety, depression, isolation: 50 Indians on biggest mental health challenges they've faced amid COVID-19 crisis

Firstpost  

Firstpost heard from 50 individuals about what their mental health struggles had been like in the year of a pandemic, self-isolation and lockdowns. — 24, female, Mumbai *** The loss of routine and work has led to a lot of idle time, which leads to lot of negative thoughts in an already negative time. — D, 29, male, Kolkata *** Anxiety… [I> started having panic attacks during lockdown and started medication but am too ashamed to tell my family — 31, female, Mumbai *** Anxiety and depression. — Pranav Shah, 22, male, Mumbai *** Anxiety, thinking I’m not doing enough in terms of productivity. — Krish, 21, male, Mumbai *** Dealing with the fact that this pandemic isn’t going to end soon and feeling like I’m stuck in a loop.

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History of this topic

Women's mental health a ticking time-bomb in India: How to defuse crisis
1 week, 1 day ago

Women's mental health a ticking time-bomb in India: How to defuse crisis

India Today  

An alarming women’s mental health crisis is staring India and the world in the face. Despite such disturbing figures, stigma and societal taboos continue to keep scores of Indian women with mental health issues from seeking professional help. ‘Unveiling the Silent Struggle’, a report by Mpower, a mental health social enterprise of the Aditya Birla Education Trust, has found that …

Vulnerable students and India’s need for an inclusive academic system
1 month, 1 week ago

Vulnerable students and India’s need for an inclusive academic system

The Hindu  

Students invest immense efforts in securing admission to premier educational institutions. A victim’s mother once said, “I gave him an IIT dream.” Despite various preventive measures, students ending their lives is a tragic loss. In 2023, the President of India, Droupadi Murmu, called for a humanitarian approach, urging “all stakeholders to help students beat negative thinking and take study pressure …

'The Sane Psychopath' book review: Focuses why Indians are so averse to talking about mental health issues
1 month, 3 weeks ago

'The Sane Psychopath' book review: Focuses why Indians are so averse to talking about mental health issues

New Indian Express  

When public bus driver Shankar Lande goes on a killing spree in Pune, many are critically injured and killed as he is captured alive and taken into custody. Based on a true incident, Salil Desai’s book The Sane Psychopath brings to focus why Indians are so averse to talking about issues of mental health. The World Health Organisation’s definition of …

World Health Day 2024: Five strategies for enhancing your mental well-being
11 months, 3 weeks ago

World Health Day 2024: Five strategies for enhancing your mental well-being

India TV News  

As we observe World Health Day this year under the theme “My Health, My Right,” it’s essential to shine a spotlight on mental health, an often overlooked aspect of well-being. According to the most recent survey conducted by India’s National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, nearly 150 million Indians require mental health care services. A study by the World …

Is there a mental health crisis among students in India? | In Focus podcast
1 year ago

Is there a mental health crisis among students in India? | In Focus podcast

The Hindu  

It’s that time of the year again, when exams are looming, and students are stressed. Most students in India write a number of exams -- from the final boards at schools to the multiple competitive tests that are attempted to try and get a seat at coveted medical or engineering colleges. The process is so difficult – lakhs of students …

Explained: Why younger generations in India seem so stressed
1 year, 1 month ago

Explained: Why younger generations in India seem so stressed

The Hindu  

Published : Jan 30, 2024 15:33 IST - 5 MINS READ Meghana AT, a theatre artist from Mumbai, is the creator of an interactive show “Plan B/C/D/E”. He also urged parents, relatives, and teachers to abstain from a “running commentary” on the students’ performance, saying it invites “negative comparisons” and is “detrimental to student’s mental well-being”. The pandemic “has fundamentally …

Academia Needs to Play Stronger Role in Raising Mental Health Awareness in India - News18
1 year, 5 months ago

Academia Needs to Play Stronger Role in Raising Mental Health Awareness in India - News18

News 18  

In the contemporary world, mental health is a subject that is often discussed and verily being talked about regardless of age and gender. Educational institutions can also inform and engage the staff, parents, and students about the value of mental health by organising workshops, seminars, and awareness campaigns. This also raises the urgent demand for establishing clear rules and policies …

AP photos of Kashmir's mental health clinics show the invisible scars of decades of conflict
1 year, 6 months ago

AP photos of Kashmir's mental health clinics show the invisible scars of decades of conflict

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Why many Indians are reluctant to trust mental health advice
1 year, 9 months ago

Why many Indians are reluctant to trust mental health advice

The Hindu  

Published : Jun 01, 2023 15:54 IST - 5 MINS READ A student based in Mumbai sought therapy after coming out to her family as a lesbian. This is quite dangerous to the mental health of so many individuals, especially those coming from traditional or restrictive families.” Same-sex marriage debate in India As India’s top court debates same-sex marriage, the …

Mental health is a serious issue in rural India
1 year, 9 months ago

Mental health is a serious issue in rural India

Live Mint  

Last week, the internet schooled actor Nawazuddin Siddique for calling depression “an urban concept”, and rather confidently stating that people in villages don’t get depressed. In October 2022, at an event former cricketer Kapil Dev said that he doesn’t understand “these American words, like ‘pressure’ and ‘depression.’” “It is misleading to say people in villages don’t have mental health issues. …

Young Indian adults coping with health issues post-pandemic
1 year, 9 months ago

Young Indian adults coping with health issues post-pandemic

The Hindu  

We’ve entered a post-COVID world, but one that has left India’s youth with a set of health challenges in its wake. “My father had a heart attack the year the pandemic broke, and I suddenly understood the importance of family,” he says, adding that the first person he confided in about the stress of the time was his mother. Stuck …

Dear Nawazuddin, It's Hurtful to See You Speak Such Loosely About Depression
1 year, 10 months ago

Dear Nawazuddin, It's Hurtful to See You Speak Such Loosely About Depression

The Quint  

Dear Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Given that India is the most depressed country in the world and Indians have the highest suicide rates, it would be an understatement to say that mental health attracts heaps of stigma in the country. Apart from being a massively celebrated actor in India, you are especially revered by rural audiences for your humble beginnings. Many look …

Mental health issues nurses in India faced during COVID-19
2 years, 1 month ago

Mental health issues nurses in India faced during COVID-19

The Hindu  

February 24, 2023 05:07 pm | Updated 05:07 pm IST As part of frontline health care workers, nurses treated COVID-19 patients and helped them recover during the pandemic, although many of these personnel themselves faced several mental health issues due to the prevailing situation, especially during the second wave, a study has found. The study paper published in Indian Journal …

World Mental Health Day 2022: How To Build Better Mental Health
2 years, 5 months ago

World Mental Health Day 2022: How To Build Better Mental Health

News 18  

Our mental health is a depiction of our sanity to put in simple words. Thus our goal shouldn’t just be to keep mental illnesses at bay but to make a conscious effort to improve our mental health every day. The concept of “Don’t fix, if it isn’t broken” is a part of our everyday Indian culture that does not allow …

Make Mental Health a Global Priority; What Action India Can Take at Policy & Social Levels
2 years, 5 months ago

Make Mental Health a Global Priority; What Action India Can Take at Policy & Social Levels

News 18  

Across continents, every year, October 10 is observed as World Mental Health Day, with the goal to raise awareness about mental health and illness. This year’s theme for mental health, announced by the World Federation for Mental Health, is ‘Make mental health for all a global priority’. The first element is perhaps that of ‘priority.’ There is an urgent need …

6 Mental Health Tips For Indian Millennials That Can Actually Work
2 years, 5 months ago

6 Mental Health Tips For Indian Millennials That Can Actually Work

News 18  

Indian millennials frequently experience stress and anxiety since they belong to a generation that is constantly rushing to finish their tasks and accomplish their objectives. Constant usage of social media can result in negative emotions like melancholy, loneliness, jealousy, anxiety, and general life discontent. Effective stress management enables you to break stress’s grasp on your life, allowing you to become …

Over 57% seniors faced mental health issues during COVID-19, 59% say government managed pandemic well
2 years, 8 months ago

Over 57% seniors faced mental health issues during COVID-19, 59% say government managed pandemic well

Firstpost  

The fear of COVID-19 infection was the most prevalent factor that contributed to the rising mental health concerns among seniors New Delhi: COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc. A ‘State of Seniors survey’ by Antara covering over 2,100 elders aged 60 and above shows that a staggering 57 per cent of seniors faced mental health issues during COVID-19. COVID-19: Senior …

Early signs of mental health issues and how to get help
2 years, 9 months ago

Early signs of mental health issues and how to get help

Hindustan Times  

Caught cold and cough? Debasmita Sinha, Psychologist & Clinical director, Manah Wellness talks about some common signs that one may need a mental health professional. The mental health expert says while your emotional health may not interfere with your daily functioning or your professional responsibilities, it does indicate that something needs attention. Even dealing with difficult events requires help Another …

Why Indians are unhappy and what to do about it?
3 years ago

Why Indians are unhappy and what to do about it?

India TV News  

The most recent edition of the Happiness Index of the World Happiness Report published in 2021 positioned India at rank 139 out of 149, making it the eleventh least happy country in the world. An offering of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the World Happiness Report released its first report in 2012 and from 2013 onwards, India has …

Patralekha Chatterjee | Don’t treat the pandemic like yesterday’s story, yet
3 years ago

Patralekha Chatterjee | Don’t treat the pandemic like yesterday’s story, yet

Deccan Chronicle  

The Covid-19 pandemic is no longer a compelling newsmaker. Hunger Watch 2, a survey commissioned by India’s Right to Food Campaign and the Centre for Equity Studies between December 2021 to January 2022, found that 66 per cent of the 6,500 respondents across 14 states who had been interviewed had experienced a fall in their incomes as compared to the …

India’s great medical challenge: Talking about mental health
3 years, 2 months ago

India’s great medical challenge: Talking about mental health

Live Mint  

Infections and diseases are commonly and incorrectly associated only with physical illnesses. Before the pandemic, the national mental health survey 2015-16 had found that 12% of India’s population has some form of mental health issues. Increased needs In 2021, the hospitals and healthcare providers across India have reported an increased number of people seeking consultation and requiring admission-based treatment for …

Depression in times of Covid: One in 10 adults suffer from mental health issues in India
3 years, 3 months ago

Depression in times of Covid: One in 10 adults suffer from mental health issues in India

India Today  

A deterioration in mental health among the average Indian has been a matter of concern for psychologists and social scientists for long. “Three major diseases viz, cancer, cardiovascular diseases and renal conditions and neglect in regard to mental health conditions have of late shown worrisome trends,” according to the Niti Aayog’s ‘Heath Care in India Vision 2020’. Post Covid-19, governments …

The Hindu Lit for Life 2021 | Healing minds, and believing in hope
3 years, 4 months ago

The Hindu Lit for Life 2021 | Healing minds, and believing in hope

The Hindu  

In coping with COVID-19, we talk of the second and imminent third wave, but there is also a fourth wave, said veteran child psychiatrist Shekhar Seshadri — that of mental health issues brought on by the pandemic. In a discussion exploring mental health in COVID-19 times, Dr. Pathare pointed out how the pandemic had strained an already strained system. And …

Mental health patients rose by 5% during Covid pandemic in Agra
3 years, 5 months ago

Mental health patients rose by 5% during Covid pandemic in Agra

India Today  

According to sources at Agra's Institute of Mental Health and Hospital, in the 18 months of the Covid pandemic, mental patients have increased by 5 per cent. Dr. Dinesh Rathore at Agra’s Institute of Mental Health and Hospital said that according to the WHO, 7 per cent of India’s population suffers from mental disorders. Senior Physician Dr SK Kalra said …

Mental Health Pandemic is Real, Needs as Much Attention as COVID-19
3 years, 5 months ago

Mental Health Pandemic is Real, Needs as Much Attention as COVID-19

News 18  

He was 65 years old and had pain all over his body. Unicef’s – The State of the World’s Children 2021, On My Mind Report – released a few days ago addressed the mental health of children for the first time in 75 years. With more than 4 lakh deaths across India, thousands would need mental health support. At Latur, …

‘Rise in depressive and anxiety disorders during pandemic': Study
3 years, 5 months ago

‘Rise in depressive and anxiety disorders during pandemic': Study

Hindustan Times  

The prevalence of major depressive and anxiety disorders increased substantially due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a new study published in The Lancet has found. If the Covid pandemic had not hit the world, there would have been 193 million cases of major depressive disorder and 298 million cases of anxiety disorders globally in 2020, the authors of the study estimated. …

'Education, Communication, Conversation': This 26-Yr-Old is Changing Mental Health Space in Urban India
3 years, 5 months ago

'Education, Communication, Conversation': This 26-Yr-Old is Changing Mental Health Space in Urban India

News 18  

Millennials as a generation have always been known for welcoming cultural and societal changes, in layman’s language the “woke” generation. While today’s sedulous youth is busy carving their ways out in bustling cities and occupied lives, caring for their mental health was pushed on the back burner until the alarming Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020. There comes a moment in …

Interview| Mental healthcare must be integrated with physical healthcare, says NIMHANS Director
3 years, 8 months ago

Interview| Mental healthcare must be integrated with physical healthcare, says NIMHANS Director

The Hindu  

Dr. Pratima Murthy, Director, NIMHANS, Bengaluru, talks exclusively to The Hindu about the short-term and long-term implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health, and what needs to be done. Then on people with pre-existing mental health problems, the stress, anxiety, and grief could have a compounding effect. And then there is Long COVID, which is characterised by fatigue, tiredness, …

Emotional, Mental Fatigue a Reality for Many Working Women during Pandemic. India Inc. Must Act
3 years, 9 months ago

Emotional, Mental Fatigue a Reality for Many Working Women during Pandemic. India Inc. Must Act

News 18  

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on our lives for the past 18 months, with no end in sight. According to the World Health Organization, India has only 0.3 psychiatrists per 1,00,000 people and one of the world’s worst mental health indexes. Mental health issues may further hinder the pace of women empowerment. The repercussions of increasing mental health …

Has the mental health landscape changed in India?
3 years, 9 months ago

Has the mental health landscape changed in India?

Live Mint  

In 2003, when I was doing my master’s in psychology, we had to prepare a case file with the case histories of 10 clients, along with a possible diagnosis. When I was telling a close friend, who was doing his master’s in physics, about this, he asked, “Tell me, is the identity of these clients just their diagnosis?” In that …

We can’t afford to overlook the pandemic misery of rural India
3 years, 10 months ago

We can’t afford to overlook the pandemic misery of rural India

Live Mint  

This week, I am in one of the larger states of the country. In the state that I was in last week, I went to multiple villages across three districts, as well to block towns, district headquarters and the state capital. I met village communities, panchayat leaders, self-help-group members, Anganwadi workers, Accredited Social Health Activists, doctors from the public and …

61% Indians angry and depressed as Covid-19 wreaks havoc, healthcare crumbles: Survey
3 years, 10 months ago

61% Indians angry and depressed as Covid-19 wreaks havoc, healthcare crumbles: Survey

India Today  

As Covid-19 continues to spread like a forest fire in India, a majority of Indians are anxious, depressed, and angry over the state of affairs in the country, a survey has found. When asked to describe their state of mind two months into the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic, about 23 per cent of the respondents said they were feeling …

India Faced a Mental Health Crisis in 2020 Due to Covid-19 Pandemic. What Can Change in 2021?
4 years, 2 months ago

India Faced a Mental Health Crisis in 2020 Due to Covid-19 Pandemic. What Can Change in 2021?

News 18  

Twenty-three-year-old Rashi*, a working professional from Kolkata, has mixed feelings about 2020. A leading psychiatrist in the UK has said that the coronavirus pandemic poses the greatest threat to mental health since the second world war. According to a study, the coronavirus pandemic can lead to “mental morbidity symptoms” among anyone while simultaneously exacerbating the symptoms of those who are …

2020, a year in mental health: Grief, anxiety, doomscrolling — there's another pandemic alongside COVID-19
4 years, 2 months ago

2020, a year in mental health: Grief, anxiety, doomscrolling — there's another pandemic alongside COVID-19

Firstpost  

There is no blueprint of how to be in a pandemic and perhaps what we need is the permission to just survive it and cultivate a curiosity for what comes up inside us — as we make our way through the virus. However, with a lot of time spent indoors, the use of phones, especially of social media apps has …

In India, doctors see a surge in depression, insomnia cases
4 years, 5 months ago

In India, doctors see a surge in depression, insomnia cases

The Hindu  

In India, doctors have admitted that they are seeing a surge in patients coming with depression, anxiety, insomnia related to the COVID-19 pandemic, even as a World Health Organisation survey indicates that the pandemic has now disrupted or halted critical mental health services in 93% of countries worldwide. To minimise the mental health impact, the vulnerable groups can be made …

The Politics of Mental Health and What We Often Ignore
4 years, 5 months ago

The Politics of Mental Health and What We Often Ignore

News 18  

When I think of well-being, I don’t think of it as something that is purely psychological or for that matter, individual. Mental Health is Tied to Structural Systems and Policies The Indian social fabric is built on the caste system. Barriers to accessing well-being resources Apart from structural issues, there are other major factors that make seeking mental healthcare and …

Coronavirus and anxiety: Coping with stress and paranoia amidst a lack of institutional support
4 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus and anxiety: Coping with stress and paranoia amidst a lack of institutional support

The Hindu  

The sudden announcement of a stringent lockdown and reports of rising coronavirus cases in Mumbai and an atmosphere of dread created by these developments sent 30-year-old Suryakant Abhimanyu Phadke into a tizzy. “Peer groups seem like an excellent approach to offer and receive social support and tips on how to manage these symptoms,” said Dr Vikram Patel, the Pershing Square …

India didn’t prioritize mental health before Covid-19. Now it’s paying the price
4 years, 6 months ago

India didn’t prioritize mental health before Covid-19. Now it’s paying the price

CNN  

New Delhi CNN — “My heartbeats are heavy. None of India’s 22 languages have words that mean “mental health” or “depression.” “People think that talking about your feelings makes you weak – there are a lot of misconceptions.”Baldev Singh, volunteer counselor While there are terms for sadness, grief or devastation in Urdu and other Indian languages, the specific terminology to …

In India, the deepening of the mental health crisis | Opinion
4 years, 8 months ago

In India, the deepening of the mental health crisis | Opinion

Hindustan Times  

Humanity has rarely experienced such a collective sense of vulnerability, a dual threat to the body and mind. Further, the findings of a countrywide National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences revealed that nearly 150 million Indians need active mental health care interventions while fewer than 30 million are seeking this support. Many …

How Covid-19 affected anxiety level among Indians between lockdown 1.0 and unlock 1.0
4 years, 9 months ago

How Covid-19 affected anxiety level among Indians between lockdown 1.0 and unlock 1.0

India Today  

Despite assertions by some public figures and politicians that Covid-19 is mostly a mild influenza-like illness and it should be treated like a common cold, except in some cases of co-morbidities, the coronavirus pandemic has caused immense mental stress among people. According to an online survey, conducted by citizen engagement platform LocalCircles, there has been 166 per cent increase in …

India: Under Lockdown
4 years, 9 months ago

India: Under Lockdown

Al Jazeera  

With COVID-19 infections rising and millions of poor Indians in lockdown, a humanitarian crisis may be unfolding. In India, 1.3 billion people were confined to their homes with just four hours’ notice as the country embarked on the world’s biggest lockdown. Tens of millions of migrant workers suddenly found themselves jobless, quickly running out of money and food, and unable …

Mental Health A New Concern Among University Students During Lockdown, Many Reach Out To Uni Helplines
4 years, 10 months ago

Mental Health A New Concern Among University Students During Lockdown, Many Reach Out To Uni Helplines

ABP News  

New Delhi: During the lockdown students confined to their home find that it is taking a toll on their mental health. While, it may seem like COVID-19 Lockdown induced gloom, but a recent survey conducted by the Indian Psychiatry Society revealed that there is up to a 20 percent increase in cases related to mental health issues. “Many under the …

For an inclusive response
4 years, 10 months ago

For an inclusive response

The Hindu  

The past, like the future, is indefinite and exists only as a spectrum of possibilities. Shampa Sengupta, who has been working on the intersections between gender and disability, opines that the majority of disabled women even otherwise face a lockdown situation, being confined to their homes. Desai said “mental health systems should make sure that people are able to access …

India’s coronavirus lockdown worsens access to mental healthcare
4 years, 11 months ago

India’s coronavirus lockdown worsens access to mental healthcare

Al Jazeera  

By not making arrangements for patients during lockdown, government may be violating its own landmark 2017 law. “That policeman agreed and travelled 64km to pick up the medicines for the boy.” But millions of other patients with mental illness across India may not be as fortunate. ‘Huge crisis’ According to India’s National Mental Health Survey 2015-16, 10.6 percent of India’s …

Anxious & Afraid: How is the Lockdown Affecting Mental Health?
4 years, 11 months ago

Anxious & Afraid: How is the Lockdown Affecting Mental Health?

The Quint  

Ananya Chatterjee, Masters Student “I will have to face anxieties and uncertainties without having any essential services or support systems.” Hena Faqurudheen, psychotherapist “It is a very real instance of ‘collective trauma.’This is trauma on a global scale” There's a mental health crisis brewing in India right now. “For a person like me, who is a mental health patient and …

Panic, Anxiety, Depression: What Coronavirus Lockdown Means for India's Mental Health
5 years ago

Panic, Anxiety, Depression: What Coronavirus Lockdown Means for India's Mental Health

News 18  

For the past one week, 32-year-old Shraddha Kejriwal who runs a merchandising business in Pune has been waking up with nightmares. "The Indian business was already in a tough time and now with this pandemic, I'm not just scared about my health, I am scared about the future," Shraddha said. "All of last week and even now, clients in therapy …

As Indian mental health research sphere is penetrated by pseudo-spiritual influences, it's time medical bodies stepped up
5 years, 4 months ago

As Indian mental health research sphere is penetrated by pseudo-spiritual influences, it's time medical bodies stepped up

Firstpost  

The boundaries between scientific and unscientific continue to blur allowing groundless ideological and pseudo-spiritual influence to penetrate the sphere of mental health. What’s astonishing is that the promotion of such ideas is rampant in a time when the Indian system of mental health in all its professional and public aspects is struggling to attain recognition. Davar says, “We don’t yet …

World Mental Health Day 2019 theme is suicide prevention: These are the five major causes of suicides in India
5 years, 5 months ago

World Mental Health Day 2019 theme is suicide prevention: These are the five major causes of suicides in India

Firstpost  

India accounts for about 25% of all suicide deaths in the world. Perhaps that’s why this year’s theme for World Mental Health Day - suicide prevention - is resonating with people everywhere. Lack of awareness about mental health The social stigma surrounding mental health is believed to be one of the major causes of the high suicide rates in India. …

Dearth of coping mechanisms for mental health issues in India adds to growing spectre of violence, say experts
6 years, 4 months ago

Dearth of coping mechanisms for mental health issues in India adds to growing spectre of violence, say experts

Firstpost  

— On 6 October, 40-year-old Vijender, a father of two, was stabbed to death in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar allegedly because his mini truck had brushed past his neighbour’s pet Labrador. The latest National Mental Health Survey, conducted in 2015-16, emphasised that an estimated 150 million people across India need mental health care interventions, both short- and long-term. Despite such a …

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