And laying all the blame at the door of the families.
Stigma the new doctrine of the influential and the powerful,
is being parroted as a universal cause for individuals and families not seeking
treatment for mental illness in India a country with diverse cultures. And all
the blame is being laid at the door of families. When incomes are lost,
education is disrupted; buckling down with serious mental illness and being
blamed is a knock-out punch when all the chips are down.
But then does the Government of India really care? ‘Care’ cannot be found in the Mental Health Care Bill, as tabled in the Rajya Sabha with no reference point of ‘Care’, definition of ‘Care’ or ‘Right to Therapeutic Care’ which would adversely impact more than 65 million Indians living with serious Mental Illness in India.
The economically poor dwelling in the villages who are being attributed today to as having no common sense or wisdom were seeking treatment in the 38 Mental Hospitals in India from 1947-1969. The Government of India’s first report on the Statistics of Mental Health in independent India issued in 1970 titled ‘Mental Health in India’ by S K Sen Gupta and D R Chawla stated, “Mental Illness is common among the poorest – 89 percent of the inpatients belonged to the income group of Re 1 to Rs. 100 per month. The incidence of Mental Illness is said to 2 per 1000 of population.”
Unrestrained misinformation, misconceptions and myths on mental illness abound which are increasing by the day are fuelling only fear and ignorance of mental illness.
But then does the Government of India really care? ‘Care’ cannot be found in the Mental Health Care Bill, as tabled in the Rajya Sabha with no reference point of ‘Care’, definition of ‘Care’ or ‘Right to Therapeutic Care’ which would adversely impact more than 65 million Indians living with serious Mental Illness in India.
The economically poor dwelling in the villages who are being attributed today to as having no common sense or wisdom were seeking treatment in the 38 Mental Hospitals in India from 1947-1969. The Government of India’s first report on the Statistics of Mental Health in independent India issued in 1970 titled ‘Mental Health in India’ by S K Sen Gupta and D R Chawla stated, “Mental Illness is common among the poorest – 89 percent of the inpatients belonged to the income group of Re 1 to Rs. 100 per month. The incidence of Mental Illness is said to 2 per 1000 of population.”
Unrestrained misinformation, misconceptions and myths on mental illness abound which are increasing by the day are fuelling only fear and ignorance of mental illness.
Fear of ridicule resulting to sequester oneself and
ignorance which is being exploited by the unscrupulous are strangely not being
countered by any ‘Public Education Campaigns’ on Mental Health one of the
objectives of the National Mental Health Programme and several Five-year Plans.
Answers are never sought as to why such posters as the ones given below specifically made for 'public health dissemination' by the Government of India are not being released in malls, cinema halls, shopping centres, market places or in schools, colleges, universities, libraries, hostels, youth camps....
Stigma thrives in an environment of ignorance which is being
perpetuated by the Government of India by withholding public health information
campaigns on mental illness.
References:
1. Mental Health in India by S K Sen Gupta and D R Chawla issued in 1970 by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
2. National Mental Health Programme, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
1. Mental Health in India by S K Sen Gupta and D R Chawla issued in 1970 by the Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
2. National Mental Health Programme, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India
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