Health2 min
Amritsar psychiatrist: 1 in 10 Indian adults has a mental health problem
Dr Akashdeep Singh says early help and family support can change the course of recovery, yet most people in India never get proper treatment.
Roughly one in 10 adults in India lives with a mental health problem, and nearly 85 per cent of them do not get adequate treatment, says Amritsar psychiatrist Dr Akashdeep Singh of Shergill Multi-speciality Hospital. He argues that catching problems early and keeping families involved are the two biggest levers for recovery.
The global picture is similar. Citing World Health Organisation figures, Dr Singh notes that about one in seven people worldwide lives with a mental health condition. India's treatment gap, he points out, is what makes the local numbers so stark.
So what is pushing people to the edge? Dr Singh lists everyday pressures: stress, work demands, money worries, relationship strain and fast-changing lifestyles. None of these is unusual, which is exactly why he says mental health deserves the same attention as physical health.
The effects reach well beyond one person. Mental health conditions can alter emotions, thoughts, behaviour, sleep and daily routines. They can strain family life, hurt children's school performance, cut productivity and leave caregivers under emotional and financial pressure. Early diagnosis and the right treatment, he says, can substantially improve quality of life and help people live fulfilling lives.
Stigma remains the biggest barrier. Dr Singh stresses that mental illness is not weakness or personal failure. It can affect anyone and usually grows from a mix of biological, psychological and social factors. Fear of being judged often keeps people from seeing a professional, so he calls for homes and workplaces where people can talk about emotional struggles without fear of discrimination.
He names several commonly seen conditions: depression, stress and anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder and other mood disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and schizophrenia, among others. The takeaway for readers is simple: if sleep, mood, behaviour or relationships start to slip, treat it as you would a physical symptom and seek help early.
Read the original article by Dr Akashdeep Singh at The Tribune.
FiledMental HealthIndia
