Karnataka State Mental Health Authority:
Formation of Karnataka State Mental Health Authority in process.
- According to WHO, Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.
- Mental health issues following the COVID-19 pandemic stem from ‘normal’ people being exposed to ‘extraordinary situations’.
- The presentations are myriad, and include emotional difficulties like anxiety, depression, biological effects like sleep, appetite disturbances, substance misuse and post-traumatic distress.
- More complex array of challenges to vulnerables like women,children and elderly facing domestic violence,social isolation, increased screen time and poverty have negatively affected their mental health.
According to WHO(2020):
- India accounts for 36.6 percent of suicides globally.
- About 7.5 per cent Indians suffer from some mental disorder and by the end 2020 it will shoot upto roughly 20 percent.
- According to the numbers, 56 million Indians suffer from depression and another 38 million Indians suffer from anxiety disorders.
- The contribution of mental disorders to the total disease burden in India in terms of DALYs(Disability adjusted life year) increased from 2.5% in 1990 to 4.7% in 2017.
- But, per 100,000 population there are psychiatrists (0.3), nurses (0.12), psychologists (0.07) and social workers (0.07), while the desirable number is anything above 3 psychiatrists and psychologists per 100,000 population.
