Mental health conversations A shift from the grey?

The pandemic has not only brought to fore the mental health crisis in India, but has also triggered conversations around it in the public space

In 2014, at the peak of her career, Bollywood star and Bengaluru girl, Deepika Padukone made a brave and life-altering decision. She boldly ventured where no actress had gone before. Deepika spoke about her battle with depression in several intimate conversations and public posts.

She confessed, “Mental illness happened to me when I had least expected it. In my case, it came with no warning signs. The general understanding was that I was on a high professionally, I had successful consecutive hit movies, I was in an amazing relationship and had an extremely supportive family. Everything was absolutely perfect.” While timely intervention from her supportive family and mental health experts ensured that she was back on track soon, Deepika paved the way for both celebrities and plebeians to find the courage to speak up on mental health.

Since then, many prominent personalities like Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar, Ileana D’Cruz and Shaheen Bhatt have shared their trials with mental health, hoping to encourage more public dialogues on this sensitive and pertinent issue.

With some celeb help

The pandemic has not only brought to fore the already brewing mental health crisis in India, but it has also triggered vital conversations in the public space around it. With more people willing to openly share their experiences, is it reducing the stigma around mental health in India? “It most certainly is,” reveals Radhika Bapat, clinical psychotherapist, adding, “When celebs discuss mental health issues openly, they de-stigmatise it and do the public a great service. Thanks to the Netflix Crown series, I have had at least a handful of clients with bulimia who have approached me for help. Mental illness has always been shut out and shunned by society. But, this is now changing.”

Not only has this encouraged more people to reach out to experts, but celeb revelations have also succeeded in creating a positive spin around such delicate subjects. Benu Malhotra, a life coach, asserts that when people open up, have conversations and discussions about mental health issues and beyond, the whole notion of keeping it ‘hush-hush’ automatically starts to change. “When people we admire and aspire to become, speak freely about their struggles, not only does the discussion reach many more, but those living with similar challenges also realise that they’re not alone. When such concepts become the subjects of discussion in the mainstream media, either through films such as Taare Zameen Par, which talks of learning disorders, or with celebrities talking about their journey through depression, it is always a push in the right direction. It urges people to take the next step and ask for help when needed,” she adds.

The journey ahead

Now that the discussions around mental health have come out of the closet, can we expect this to have a positive effect in the fight for better mental health awareness in India in the long run?

Sumit Mittal, founder and CEO of an inclusive mental health platform, opines that the pandemic has ironically led to the realisation of other critical conditions and improved awareness around mental wellness. “The pandemic brought the otherwise tabooed topic buried under the carpet to the surface. Mental illness — a rising by-product of the Covid-19 virus — has become a recurrent and ubiquitous problem. More than 15 per cent of India’s population suffers from poor mental health and the number of people suffering is steadily increasing. Because of the pandemic, people around the world were forced to self-discover the threats and anxieties that it brought along — fear of losing loved ones, the pressure of keeping up with the changing working environment and hours, the stress of dealing with job loss and financial upheaval... all these have encouraged them to come forward and address the issues troubling them. Though there is a long way to go in the establishment of mental health awareness in the country, the positive effect of people speaking about it cannot be negated,” he states.

Delhi-based psychiatrist, Dr Jyoti Kapoor, is more than optimistic about more people reaching out for help. “We are now seeing more cases of anxiety and obsessions coming to fore than ever. Even young children and adolescents are showing symptoms of stress. While previously, parents would ignore these issues because all would be busy in their school and work, staying in proximity 24x7 has forced people to address behavioural issues right away. Also, media has focused on the impact of lockdown and pandemic-related restrictions at a psychological level and people are reading and hearing experts on this topic and identifying with it. So, people are accepting that it’s no more a problem that occurs only in a select few; we are all vulnerable and we should know that if we wish to deal with it,” she says.

Extended support system

It is also heartening to note that the Indian government has come up with a proactive initiative to support mental health. The Union Health Ministry, under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 and Rules, has issued guidelines to combat mental illness.

“They have also laid out plans to connect mental health establishments with nearby Covid-19 hospitals through hotspots, aimed at providing aid and treatment to those suffering from trauma or depression, be it pandemic-induced or a pre-existing condition. The rise in e-therapy and teleconsultation since the lockdown is indicative of mental health awareness taking a positive turn,” points out Sumit.

This, in turn, has had a positive trickle-down effect as individuals with mental health issues find more support within their family structure, social connections and the professional work space too. “We have noticed that Indian families have become far more accepting of members suffering from depression and other mental health issues. Although we have a long way to go, the recent Mental health act, 2017, was a step in the right direction. This is also because of increased accessibility to online information now than ever before,” concurs Radhika.

This change could also be attributed to the millennial generation that has embraced a more modern approach to tackling mental health issues.

“This generation is far more open to talking about their challenges, due to which their families are opening up to the concept of mental health. In addition to this, the pandemic has severely affected everyone. The thought of log kya kahenge is diluted because of how universal the financial, mental and physical impact is. When we see so many people around us struggle, this commonality opens the door to discussing our issues. However, having said this, there is still a long way to go. Families might have become more accepting, but many would still rather live in denial than take action to help their loved ones,” cautions Benu.

It’s not just families but even in the professional space where organisations have learnt to sensitise themselves to their employee’s mental health. “Listening is the key to deciphering the major root of the problem. Where people are not confident or comfortable, it is very difficult to persuade them to speak their mind. It is very important to provide them with a viable environment where they can get a sense of security to open up. Here again, conversation comes to the rescue as it fulfils a two-fold purpose. One — in the detection of the problem, and second — in understanding the nature of the person concerned.

It becomes imperative to break their misconceptions of considering workplace stress common and natural. They need to be sensitised about the productive threshold of pressure beyond which any stress can account for irritability, anger issues, disrupted sleeping cycle and tiredness.

For most, it may seem like a ‘normal’ side-effect of working life, but these can trigger or enhance pre-existing mental health conditions. At our platform, we believe that talking can be immensely effective in reverting the moderate mental health concerns, which if left unattended, can lead to severe conditions,” reveals Sumit.

The doors are gradually opening up and there is public acceptance of the need for more dialogues around mental health. There will continue to be some measure of trepidation until we reach a stage in India where the chatter around this pertinent issue is normalised enough to make it as easy for individuals to reach out to a mental health expert as it is to reach out to a physician.