World Mental Health Day, a programme of the World Federation for Mental Health, was observed for the first time on 10 October 1992. The world is experiencing the unprecedented impact of the current global health emergency due to COVID-19 that has also impacted on the mental health of millions of people. We know that the level of anxiety, fear, isolation, social distancing and restrictions, uncertainty and emotional distress has become widespread as the world struggles to bring the virus under control and find solutions. The pandemic arose against an already dire mental health landscape that saw mental health conditions on the rise across the globe.
About 450 million people live with mental disorders that are among the leading causes of ill-health and disability worldwide, according to WHO’s World Health Report, 2001. One person in every four will be affected by a mental disorder at some stage of their lives while mental, neurological and substance use disorders exact a high toll on health outcomes, accounting for 13% of the total global burden of disease.
Annually, over 8, 00 000 people that die by suicide, which is more than people dying by war and homicide put together. For every suicide, there are many more people who attempt suicide every year. A prior suicide attempt is the single most important risk factor for suicide in the general population. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 15 to 29-year-olds while 79% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries. Every suicide is a tragedy that affects families, communities and entire countries and has long-lasting and devastating effects on the people left behind. This bleak picture necessitates that we ensure that mental health should be prioritised now more than ever before.
It is possible to treat the mental disorders with strong primary health care that adopts a whole-of-society approach to health and wellbeing. It centers on the needs and preferences of individuals, families and communities. To make health a reality for all, all the governments need to invest in mental health.
Good mental health is related to mental and psychological well-being. Mental health has become a big issue in every steps of life. Anxiety and depression are real enemies of sound mental health. During this pandemic, the health fact has been much talked, especially in the lockdown when a major portion of the population has lost jobs and remains in home.
Usually men have more options to get jobs if he lost, but for women, it is much worse. A recent survey of WHO has claimed that women are facing much more mental illness during the COVID -19 duration time. Jobless women losing their self and became short tempered as the life style of those women have changed. As a service holder cum housewife, time management was one of the main focuses for her. Early rising was the first matter for working women, which has no importance now. Financial insecurity is the top reason behind the mental agony of women who lost job in this pandemic.
The theme of this year Mental Health Day was kindness. The question is that who will be kind to whom. A jobless lady cannot at all be kind to herself, let alone the others. She spends most of her time in household works with less rest and cheap diet.
According to psychology, unemployed person especially woman are facing the mental disorder and the main reason is financial crisis. May be she did not get the proper support from her family or other relatives close to her.
WHO has focused more on mental health awareness. Time has come to start the work now. May be it can start from a person or from a family, then it will transform family to family. It will gradually spread from society to society.
(Ms. Shahnaz is a freelance journalist).
