Opinion: An urgent need for improved access to mental health care

Last week, UK allotted a funding of £20 million to help tackle loneliness among people across the country. This was a significant step forward in government's strategy to bring isolated people together. In January 2018, the UK government had appointed Loneliness Minister for cross-government work on loneliness.

While announcing Tracey Crouch as the Loneliness Minister, Prime Minister Theresa May said, "For far too many people, loneliness is the sad reality of modern life."

And she was absolutely right. Social isolation, inability to deal with setbacks, emotional trauma and stress is indeed a reality now.

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The sooner we accept, the better it is.

World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that more than 300 million people suffer from depression across the world. The report also emphasised the need for more investment in mental health care.

WHO has identified depressionas one of the prime reasons contributing to suicide, which claims about 8 lakh lives every year.

India is finally talking about depression and anxiety

Government, people and organisations are finally discussing ways to deal with the demon called depression.

In March 2017, India passed Mental Health Care bill. The legislation not only decriminalises suicide but also states that a person attempting suicide will be presumed to be suffering from severe stress.

It sets a provision where it will be government's responsibility to rehabilitate the survivors and get them treated.The bill also entitles every person the right to access mental health care and treatment from health services run or funded by the government.

Mental illness, like any other disease, does not discriminate. It affects all age groups, children, youth, elderly people. Even rich, famous and successful are not immune to depression.

Government seeks to put an end to the stigma associated with mental health and tends to make healthcare accessible to everyone.

In India, people are now willing to reach out, both to be heard and to lend an ear.

We need to do more

To go further, focused programmes should be developed for suicide prevention, anxiety and stress reduction, both on the national level and in every state.

Social isolation, due to a change in lifestyle or other unforeseen circumstances, can severely impact mental well-being. A strong need, therefore, exists to motivate and counsel affected people to have meaningful social relationships.

The National Mental Health Survey, 2016, conducted across 12 Indian states, has stated that 150 million persons are in need of mental health interventions and care.

According to the survey, more than 85% of medical care occurs in the private non-governmental sphere where the cost of therapy, counselling and medication is quite high. Therefore, as stated in the legislation, authorities should ensure that mental health services are provided without any discrimination, and at an affordable cost.

Also, it is a matter of concern that India lacks sufficient number of mental health professionals. More trained psychiatrists and psychologists are required at government health care centres across the country, to meet WHO prescribed norms.

Moreover, by setting up counselling desks, educational institutes and professional organisations can play an important role in early detection of mental disorders, like anxiety, stress, depression and any sort of addiction.

Continuous monitoring of implementations of provisions in the Mental Health Care Bill, other strategies and plans,is also important.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)