Careful! Depression on the rise in India

Depression is a growing problem in India. About one-third of the world’s Depression Patients are present in India and China, and only one in ten Depression Patients in India gets treatment. Today 9 percent population of the country is troubled by depression, and due to this, people are taking serious steps like suicide. If we try to identify the symptoms of depression in a timely manner, then it can be relieved and at the same time can be given an effective answer to challenges like mental health. We just need awareness and a firm step.

These figures are intimidating. According to an estimate, there are about 45 crore depression patients in the world, of which 17% are from China, and 15% are from India. India and China have a higher number of depression patients than in developed countries. The government also believes that one in every five people in India needs the advice of a psychiatrist.

India goes through a difficult period of depression and here is how:

According to a WHO report, in 2015, there were 50 million depression patients in India. In India, 30 million people are victims of anxiety; the person who suffers from anxiety sometimes even takes deadly steps like suicide. According to the WHO, from 2005 to 2015, the number of depre ssion patients in the world has increased by 18.4 percent, and out of which 50 percent of people around the world live in India and China. Suicide accounts for 1.5 percent of the total deaths worldwide. 78 percent of depression patients live in low and middle-income countries and India is one of them.

In the year 2012, India had the highest number of suicides in the world. Indians consumed depression medicines more in 2016 than in 2015. In 2016, doctors wrote 14 percent more prescriptions of anti-depression drugs than in 2015. (Source WHO Report)

According to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, 1 in every 20 people in India is suffering from some form of depression. India spends only 0.06% of its health budget on fighting mental illnesses, while Bangladesh spends 0.44 percent of its health budget on battling with mental illnesses.

 There are 3800 psychiatrists, 898 are clinical psychologists, 850 psychological social workers and 1500 psychiatric nurses. India has about one psychiatrist per one million people, while according to Commonwealth standards, there should be 5.6 psychiatrists per one lakh people.

 Looking at these figures, it can be easily guessed that India needs to be tight on the system and make efforts to make itself healthy. In the year 2014, India took a big step about “Mental Health Bill” according to which –

Inhuman treatment of people with a mental health condition is considered a crime. Shock therapy to pediatric patients were banned. It can be used only after the permission of the District Medical Board on older patients, but only after giving anesthesia. Under this law, people with depression will be able to decide their treatment method.

According to the new law, if a person commits suicide due to stress, he will not be placed in the category of crime. Under section 309 of the Indian Penal Code, a depression prone patient no longer will be sent to jail for a year. For the first time in the history of India, under this law, attempted suicide was excluded from the category of crime, whereas until now, suicide was considered as a crime since British times. 

So how can you understand that someone is moving towards depression :

To understand this, it is crucial to understand its symptoms,

• Stay irritable
• Not sleeping properly
• Less hungry
• Feeling guilty
• Feel sad for no reason
• Be sad all the time
• Loss of confidence
• Feeling tired and lethargy
• Excitement or physical anxiety
• Drug abuse
• Decrease in concentration
• To think of suicide
• Not interested in anything
• Stay alone avoid conversation

If it is lasting for more than two-four weeks, then it should be taken seriously, and appropriate steps should be taken into consideration.

Measures to avoid depression:

If you want to prevent depression, first talk about it openly. Make changes in everyday life and organize yourself, give yourself some time.

How will it happen

• Talk, ask for help and stay in touch with loved ones
• Eat healthy food and exercise daily
• Get involved into creative work
• Listen to good music
• Distance yourself from negative people
• Get your sleep on time
• Live in the present and don’t think of the past
• Don’t distance yourself from people
• Seek advice from a psychiatrist and talk openly to get rid of depression.

 In India, the system of treating mental diseases will first have to cure itself, so start with yourself, don’t lose courage and love your life.