These 11 Overwhelming Facts About Mental Health Prove Why It Needs Our Immediate Attention

If you live in India, you already know that mental illness is a big taboo in the society. Someone coming out in the open about their struggle or admitting to seeking professional help for mental health issues is usually looked down upon and considered to be unfit for the society. This is all a myth but the sad reality is that a whole lot of people believe in it. For exactly these reasons, India is avoiding the mental health crisis at its hand but really, the problem is grave enough for us to start seeking out solutions immediately before we lose more people to their battles and this stigma.

Here are 11 scary facts on mental health which will show you that it is a crisis that needs our immediate attention:

1. India is one of the most depressed countries in the world with 6.5% battling it. Close to 56 million (estimated) people suffer from mental illness issues in India. That’s almost equal to the population of South Africa.

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2. 20% of youth have a mental health condition, with one in 10 young people having experienced a period of major depression.

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3. According to a study by The Live Love Laugh Foundation, 87% of the urban population in India showed awareness of mental illness but 71% associated stigma with it.

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4. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that each year approximately one million people die from suicide.

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5. Having mental illness also means that you’re put at risk of contracting other deadly diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular issues.

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6. Due to the stigma as well as the high expense of professional therapy, only 10 to 12 % people in India seek actual help for their condition.

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7. “About half of mental disorders begin before the age of 14. Yet, regions of the world with the highest percentage of population under the age of 19 have the poorest level of mental health resources. Most low- and middle-income countries have only one child psychiatrist for every 1 to 4 million people”, reported WHO.

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8. About 23% of all years lost are because of disability is caused by mental disorders.

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9. Trijog, an organisation for mental health wellness, found that 50% of corporate employees suffer from chronic stress. Out of these, 20% battle depression.

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10. As of 2016, India allocated a mere 0.06% of the total health budget to mental health.

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11. 12 percent of Indian students between the ages of 4 and 16 suffer from psychiatric disorders which means that it begins during childhood and steps need to be taken in order to prevent this.

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