Help for mental health issues should be accessible

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A recent report by a mental health organisation said that not only do people delay seeking help, many contemplated self-harm. The report also found that 94.9 per cent reported two or more concerns at once. It is rightly said that India's so-called progress in mental health must be judged by whether people can get timely, effective care, not simply by how openly we talk about it.

This report cited an abysmal 11.3 per cent who reached care within a month of experiencing concerns. Some respondents resorted to alcohol, other harmful substances before they accessed professional support. Other coping strategies included excessive screen time, oversleeping, and overworking, the report said. More than half the respondents also said they had experienced thoughts of self-harm before seeking care, the report said.

This is an important finding as there has been significant cheering and some of that is merited, about the uptick in awareness on mental health. Mental health workshops are now openly and proudly advertised. Institutions have counsellors and helplines have sprung up for mental health outreach. With visibility, comes awareness and then understanding. With understanding, the stigma falls away, though admittedly, more work has to be done in this area.

Yet, now, with awareness enhancement, accessibility needs to be looked at too. People must realise like physical health, mental health will benefit if timely intervention is sought. Families, friends, well wishers can play a part actually taking the suffering person to a professional/clinic. Give the person access to mental health avenues as time is of the essence. That should now go along with awareness.