MENTAL HEALTH and personal

wellbeing

Presented by:
Parul Kalia
Research Scholar
Deptt. HDFS
PAU, Ludhiana
• It refers to a broad array of activities directly
or indirectly related to the mental well-being,
prevention of mental disorders, treatment and
rehabilitation of people affected by mental
disorders.
• This includes maintaining productive daily
activities and fulfilling relationships with
others.
• It also includes maintaining the abilities to
adapt to change and to cope with stresses.
Mental health is the capacity of each and all of us to feel, think and act in ways
that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face. It is a
positive sense of emotional and spiritual well-being that respects the
importance of culture, equity, social justice, interconnections and personal
dignity. (University of Toronto, 1997)
• Dr. Brock Chisholm, the first Director-General of the
World Health Organization (WHO), in 1954, had
presciently declared that ‘without mental health there
can be no true physical health.’

• When we talk about mental health, we’re talking

about our mental well-being: our emotions, our
thoughts and feelings, our ability to solve problems
and overcome difficulties, our social connections and
our understanding of the world around us.
 Differences
Mental Health...
• involves effective functioning
in daily activities resulting in
– Productive activities
(work, school, care giving)
– Healthy relationships
– Ability to adapt to change
and cope with adversity
Mental Illness...
• refers collectively to all
diagnosable mental disorders
(Schizophrenia, bipolar
disorder etc.) involving
– Significant changes in
thinking, emotion and/or
behavior
– Distress and/or problems
functioning in social,
work or family activities
What is Personal Wellbeing?
 Well-being or wellness is the
condition of an individual or
group.
A high level of well-being means
that in some sense the
individual's or group's condition
is positive.
 According to Naci and Ioannidis, ‘Wellness
refers to diverse and interconnected
dimensions of physical, mental and social
well-being that extend beyond the traditional
definition of health. It includes choices and
activities aimed at achieving physical vitality,
mental alacrity, social satisfaction, a sense of
accomplishment and personal fulfillment’.
 Personal well-being looks and feels different
for everyone. Personal well-being is a state of
being comfortable and healthy.
• Personal well-being includes healthy lifestyles,
personal identity and healthy relationships.
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental
health includes "subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy,
autonomy, competence, inter-generational dependence and
self-actualization of one's intellectual & emotional potential,
among others."

• The WHO further states that the well-being of an individual is

encompassed in the realization of their abilities, coping with
normal stresses of life, productive work and contribution to
their community.
Negligence of Mental Health in India
• According to India’s latest National Mental Health
Survey 2015-16, an estimated 150 million people
across India are in need of mental health care
interventions, both short and long-term.

• Despite the high number of people who need care,

mental health has been sorely neglected in India,
rooted in stigma, taboo and myths.
• Poor awareness about the symptoms of mental illness,
stigma and the lack of mental health services available
has resulted in a massive treatment gap, with
inadequate numbers of trained mental health care
professionals. The survey found that, depending on the
state, between 70 and 92 percent of those in need of
mental health care failed to receive any treatment.

• The National Mental Health Survey, 2016, estimated

that over 85% of people with common mental disorders
such as depression or anxiety disorder and 73.6% of
people with severe mental disorders such as psychosis
or bipolar disorder do not receive any mental healthcare
and treatment.
• There are just 0.3 psychiatrists, 0.07
psychologists and 0.07 social workers per
100,000 people in India. To compare, the ratio of
psychiatrists in developed countries is 6.6 per
100,000 and the average number of mental
hospitals globally is 0.04 per 100,000 while it’s
only 0.004 in India.
Let’s watch a video
 Article on Mental Health Day

• A study reported in WHO, conducted for the NCMH

(National Care Of Medical Health), states that at
least 6.5 per cent of the Indian population suffers
from some form of the serious mental disorder,
with no discernible rural-urban differences. Though
there are effective measures and treatments, there
is an extreme shortage of mental health workers
like psychologists, psychiatrists, and doctors.
• According to Lancet Commission, Mental
health disorders are on the rise with 80% of
people with any form of mental or substance
use disorder in India and China.
• The Live Love Laugh Foundation (TLLLF)
commissioned How India Perceives Mental Health:
TLLLF National Survey Report 2018 to help gauge
India’s mental health landscape with the objective of
exploring perceptions surrounding mental health and
mental illness in India.

• The study took place across eight cities in India over

a span of 5 five months and involved 3,556
respondents.
Support, judgment & fear
People’s understanding of mental
health
People's attitudes towards those
affected
Social inclusion
What people feel about sufferers
 HISTORY OF
MENTAL HEALTH
AWARENESS
IN INDIA
• Involving families in taking care of the patients under
care of mental health services have been a unique
contribution from India. It was initiated by Dr. Vidya
Sagar in 1950s at Amritsar Mental Hospital followed
by the Mental Health Centre at Christian Medical
College, Vellore, and All India Institute of Mental
Health, Bengaluru, in 1960s.
• The most important development was of the launching of the
National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) of India in 1982.
The objectives were:
• to ensure the availability and accessibility of minimum mental
healthcare for all in the foreseeable future, particularly to the
most vulnerable and underprivileged sections of the
population;
• to encourage the application of mental health knowledge in
general healthcare and in social development;
• to promote community participation in the mental health
service development and
• to stimulate efforts toward self-help in the community.
• In India, the Mental Health Act was passed on 22
May 1987.

• "An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to

the treatment and care of mentally ill persons, to
make better provision with respect to their property
and affairs and for matters connected therewith or
incidental thereto.“

• The Act superseded the previously existing national

law governing the mental health issues, the Indian
Lunacy Act of 1912.
 Mental health included in the UN
Sustainable Development Goals

• The inclusion of mental health and substance abuse in the

Sustainable Development Agenda, which was adopted at the
United Nations General Assembly in September 2015, is likely
to have a positive impact on communities and countries where
millions of people will receive much needed help.
• Specifically, goal 3 of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) focuses on ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-
being for all at all ages.

• World leaders have committed to prevention and treatment of

non-communicable diseases, including behavioural,
developmental and neurological disorders, which constitute a
major challenge for sustainable development.
 Mental Healthcare Act, 2017
• In India, the Mental Health Care Act 2017 was
passed on 7 April 2017 and came into force from
July 7, 2018.
• An Act to provide for mental healthcare and
services for persons with mental illness and to
protect, promote and fulfill the rights of such
persons during delivery of mental healthcare and
services and for matters connected therewith or
incidental thereto.
• This Act superseded the previously
existing Mental Health Act, 1987 that was passed
on 22 May 1987.
 Key points

• The Mental Healthcare Act 2017 aims at

decriminalizing the Attempt to Commit Suicide by
seeking to ensure that the individuals who have
attempted suicide are offered opportunities for
rehabilitation from the government as opposed to
being tried or punished for the attempt.
• The Act seeks to fulfill India’s international
obligation pursuant to the Convention on Rights of
Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol.
• The Act aims to safeguard the rights of the people with
mental illness, along with access to healthcare and
treatment without discrimination from the government.
Additionally, insurers are now bound to make
provisions for medical insurance for the treatment of
mental illness on the same basis as is available for the
treatment of physical ailments.
• The Mental Health Care Act 2017 includes provisions
for the registration of mental health related institutions
and for the regulation of the sector. These measures
include the necessity of setting up mental health
establishments across the country to ensure that no
person with mental illness will have to travel far for
treatment, as well as the creation of a mental health
review board which will act as a regulatory body.
• The Act has restricted the usage of Electroconvulsive
therapy (ECT) to be used only in cases of emergency,
and along with muscle relaxants and anaesthesia.
Further, ECT has additionally been prohibited to be
used as viable therapy for minors.
• The responsibilities of other agencies such as the
police with respect to people with mental illness has
been outlined in the 2017 Act.
• The Mental Health Care Act 2017 has additionally
vouched to tackle stigma of mental illness, and has
outlined some measures on how to achieve the same.
The law provides two new facilities:
• The Advance Directive (AD)
• The Nominated Representative (NR)
• The provision of writing an advance directive, provides active
participation rights to individuals living with mental illness. It
allows a person (not necessarily one with mental illness) to
indicate their choice of treatment in case of future illness. This
directive must be certified by a medical practitioner who is
registered with Mental Health Board for validity.
• Similarly, the Act allows individuals to nominate any person of
their choice to take decisions on their behalf in case of an
illness. Although not compulsory, these clauses are an
empowering step to increase awareness about mental illnesses.
Ways to improve your
mental health and
wellbeing
 Learn to relax and do things you enjoy

• Having something to look forward to promotes

positive mental health and wellbeing. Everyone is
different, so find out what works for you.
Get moving
• There are different ways to improve your negative
mood. Do whatever you enjoy doing that gets you
active, for example:
Eat healthy
Get enough sleep
Stay connected and keep in touch with families
and friends
 References
• https://www.devex.com/news/in-india-struggles-to-address-
mental-health-92466
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mental_Health_Care_Act,_2017
• https://www.firstpost.com/india/metoo-and-mental-heath-
notes-on-surviving-this-harrowing-news-cycle-from-those-
whove-been-there-5351771.html
• https://www.strathcona.ca/community-families/well-being-
and-mental-health/family-violence/i-need-help/personal-well-
being/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Well-being
• The world health report 2001 – Mental Health: New Understanding,
New Hope (PDF). WHO. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
• Mental health: strengthening our response. World Health
Organization. August 2014. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
• https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/lancet-report-mental-
health-disorders-on-the-rise-in-india/articleshow/66156376.cms
• https://www.indiatoday.in/education-today/gk-current-
affairs/story/india-is-the-most-depressed-country-in-the-world-
mental-health-day-2018-1360096-2018-10-10
• https://www.livemint.com/Opinion/BdVVXjyKWDhAAcU1ulHwSI
/Mental-Healthcare-Act-A-paradigm-shift.html
• http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/ask-us/whats-the-difference-between-
mental-health-and-mental-illness
Thank you