World Mental Health Day 2020

“Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud" let's talk about it.

For boosting awareness about the mental health issues and to mobilize efforts in support of mental health issues around the world, every year on 10th October, World Mental Health Day is observed.

The theme of the World Mental Health Day 2020 is related to the need for investment in mental health. According to the World Federation for Mental Health (WFMH), the World Mental Health Day theme in 2020 is “Mental Health for All: Greater Investment – Greater Access.”

What is mental health?

Being mentally healthy doesn’t just mean that you don’t have a mental health problem.

If you’re in good mental health, you can:

make the most of your potential

cope with life

play a full part in your family, workplace, community and among friends.

HISTORY OF WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY

In 1992, the World Federation of Mental Health led by the deputy secretary-general at the time, Richard Hunter, created World Mental Health Day. They didn’t have a precise objective other than to advocate for mental health as a whole.

To say the least, it was an uphill climb to change a plethora of bad and dangerous habits that were making a difficult situation worse for people.

Mental health is everyone’s business. We all have times when we feel down or stressed or frightened. Most of the time those feelings pass. But sometimes they develop into a more serious problem and that could happen to anyone of us.

Everyone is different. You may bounce back from a setback while someone else may feel weighed down by it for a long time.

Your mental health doesn’t always stay the same. It can change as circumstances change and as you move through different stages of your life.

Here are a few common signs of mental illness in adults and adolescents:

Excessive mood changes

- Overthinking

- Sleep or appetite changes

- Feeling lost or disconnected

- Unusual behaviour

- Apathy

- Suicidal

- Aggression

- Temper issues

- Frequent nightmares

- Unable to carry out daily activities

- Overindulgence of drugs or alcohol

World Mental Health Day 2020 is the most important one yet. The months of lockdown and loss have had a huge impact on us all, and prioritising mental health has never been more important than it is now.

We all deserve to feel safe and supported when talking about our mental health. But too often, mental health stigma leaves people feeling isolated and ashamed. At worst, it prevents people from getting support, finding employment or having open conversations.

Attitudes towards mental health have improved, but the stories of many are still not being heard or understood.

A mental health crisis is looming as the COVID-19 pandemic pushes people into isolation, poverty and anxiety, experts say. And as demand for help increases, the crisis has affected critical mental health services in 93% of countries, data from the World Health Organization shows.

According to WHO’s recent report, India is the most depressed country in the world. The report suggests that one in seven people from India have suffered from mental illness such as depression and anxiety from 1990 and 2017.

It is an alarming situation for the country to secure the future of upcoming generations.

Mental Illness is still a taboo in Indian society and people hesitates to talk on such topic as they are afraid that they might face discrimination because of it.

There is also a very low number of health professionals to deal with mental health issues in India and has been suffering from chronic underfunding. Thus, it has become very important to invest in mental health programmes not only in India but across the globe.