What do we mean by mental health?
The World Health Organization (WHO) conceptualises mental health as a “state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”.
In layman’s terms, mental health is your general state of well being and state of mind. Something that should be look after. Whereas Mental illness is something that disrupts your mental state and interrupts how you feel,think, communicate and behave. OK but how will someone know if she/he is mentally healthy or not ?Is there a scope of self diagnosis? Well absolutely no. Humans, especially modern age masses,have always been keen on understanding themselves better and evidently have a thirst for self exploration, which is the light guiding sciences like biology,psychology and anthropology. Nevertheless, young adults are extremely savvy with internet - all it takes is a click of a mouse button and virtually all the information you can find out about a disorder is at your fingertips.One can scan through the list of symptoms, take an online screening test, or read a few testimonies. Suddenly, she/he is convinced that they have a mental illness. Unfortunately, mental health is not that straightforward. Self-diagnosis leads by assumptions that an individual is only suffering from one distinct disorder, when it is entirely possible that two disorders are affecting you at once. Therefore, it is always best to trust the assessment to an experienced mental health professional rather than relying on cursory internet search.
"A child’s mental health is just as important as their physical health and deserve the same quality of support" - Catherine,duchess of cambridge
Factors affecting mental health -
There can be plethora of factors affecting an individual’s mental health ,especially for teens and young adults ,who are facing mental health challenges even before graduating school and college.To list a few factors involved-
PRESSURE TO SUCCEED
Many students feel an immense pressure to succeed academically during college or school. The desire to achieve high grades in a difficult academic environment can lead to increased levels of stress and anxiety. Students may also be pressured to look to the future and decide on a career path.
FINANCIAL WORRIES
Many students have to consider their family’s economic conditions and spend accordingly on textbooks and other supplies. Some students have to take out loans to afford tuition, room and accomodation and other fees. Despite of India being somewhat a socialist country, seats in government funded colleges or universities are very slender. And students have to enroll in rather immoderate alternatives, which are private institutions.
UNCERTAINTY ABOUT FUTURE
Our society promotes the idea of immediately entering college after high school, and then immediately starting a career after college. Unfortunately, this can cause anxiety for students who need more time to decide what career path they want to take.
INCREASED SOCIAL MEDIA USE
Today’s young adults are spending more time online and on social media, and this comes with harmful consequences. Social media may expose users to harassment and cyberbullying. Even positive posts can harm an individual’s self esteem by causing them to compare themselves to others’ seemingly perfect lives.
School and mental health of its pupils
To begin with, the purpose of schooling is not just to ensure that children become literate, numerate and well-versed in various sciences and skills. School, ideally, is also a place for children to hone the social and emotional abilities they will need to navigate the complex ‘real world’. In reality, though, school may have a deleterious rather than positive impact on the mental health of students.Most schools follow a one-size-fits-all model. Right from pre-primary, the same stringent demands are made on children without taking into account that children come from varied backgrounds and are not always able to cope with the cognitive and learning demands made on them. The gap is widened due to lack of an empathetic environment at school and sometimes even at home.
Bullying, including verbal aggression and spreading rumours, is common. Many children are afraid to speak up, but may ruminate over negative thoughts or engage in self-harm. Together with the pressure to perform, school experiences in the Indian context are about fear — fear of teachers and fear of bullies.
Education for a majority of children in India is neither useful nor meaningful. In fact, it likely creates a number of psychological and practical problems. Fortunately, many educationists have called for a more child-centered framework for education. There also exist alternate school systems that prioritise holistic development over logico-mathematical and language-oriented education. The need now is to turn these ‘alternative’ systems into mainstream ones.
How to look after your mental health -
TALK ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS
Talking about your feelings isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a part of taking charge of your well being and doing what you can to stay healthy. You don’t need to sit your loved ones down for a big conversation about your wellbeing. Many people feel more comfortable when these conversations develop naturally-maybe when you’re doing something together. If it feels awkward at first, give it time. Make talking about your feelings something that you can do.
STAY ACTIVE
Regular exercise can boost your self esteem and can help you concentrate,sleep,and feel better. Exercise keeps the brain and your other vital organs healthy, and is also a significant benefit towards improving your mental health.
EAT WELL
Your brain needs a mix of nutrients in order to stay healthy and function well, just like the other organs in your body. A diet that’s good for your physical health is also good for your mental health.In general, take a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids, lean protein, amino acids, vitamin k, folic acid, polyphenols etc.
TAKE A BREAK
A change of scene or a change of pace is good for your mental health. It could be a five minute pause from cleaning your workplace or studyplace, a half hour lunch break at college or school or a weekend exploring somewhere new.Give yourself some ‘me time’.
ACCEPT WHO YOU ARE
We’re all different. It’s much healthier to accept that you’re unique than to wish you were more like something else. Feeling good about yourself boosts your confidence to make new skills, visit new places and make new friends. Good self esteem helps you cope when life takes a difficult turn.
CARE FOR OTHERS
Friends are really important, we help each other whenever we can, so it’s a two way street, and supporting them uplifts oneself. Caring about others is an important part of keeping up relationships with people close to you. It can even bring you closer together. It also helps us see the world from another angle. That can help to put our own problems in perspective.
Government reforms
According to an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) 2005 study, 12% to 13 % of school students in India suffer from emotional, behavioural, and learning problems such as anxiety, depression, learning difficulties, and suicidal tendencies, among others. The Centre has launched a programme under which school teachers will be trained to identify the early warning signs of stress and mental health problems among students, and provide them and their families with the required support. The teacher-training programme is conducted under the ministry’s “Manodarpan” initiative. Readers can visit its site at https://manodarpan.education.gov.in/ to get more insights into the programme and can contact national toll free helpline number 844-844-0632 to address students’ psychosocial issues.
- Harshit
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