Nearly one in 20 people suffer from depression in today’s fast-paced, high stress environment, says a NIMHANS study. Although counselling centres see hundreds of cases a month, these amount to a mere 15% of people suffering from mental illness. Demanding jobs, workplaces that lack recreational facilities and adequate leave plans have led to rampant depression among adults. Worse, mental illness is on the rise among children too, with highly competitive study environments, rigorous coaching centres and unreal expectations from peers and family have led to more frequent emotional breakdowns and crisis situations, report Joyeeta Chakravorty and Ralph Alex Arakal.
The recent National Mental Health survey rolled out by Nimhans reported that 1 in 20 people suffer from depression. Despite these huge numbers, there is little understanding around the business of “feeling low,” which is often dismissed as a mere phase. Heightened stress, addictions and personal problems are among the leading causes of anxiety and depression – ePsyclinic.com, an online platform that provides mental healthcare through therapy and counselling, conducts some 800 sessions a month in Bengaluru alone. Out of these, upto 60% of participants suffer from work-related stress and job insecurities, 20% from the early stages of smoking and drug addictions, while the rest are adolescents dealing with problems at work and their personal lives.
Despite the rampancy of psychological disorders in urban areas, society still lacks planning. "Heightened stress has become a pervasive experience across age-groups in contemporary times. Young adults are one of the most vulnerable sections of society with respect to the development of mental health problems. There has been increasing recognition at workplaces regarding mental health and its impact on employee well-being and productivity," says Dr Seema Mehrotra, Professor, Dept of Clinical Psychology at National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS).
"Poor civic support systems and infrastructure contributes greatly to depression and we need to really sit down and consider the topic from every angle, otherwise it reduced to just another topic of discussion,” says prominent psychiatrist Dr Ajit Bhide, from St Martha’s Hospital. He adds that he witnesses some four suicide attempt cases a week, all stemming from depression and mental illness. In fact, another mental health survey conducted at NIMHANS also stresses that persons with mental disorders continue to be stigmatised. This stigma contributes to the burden of mental morbidity, preventing those who suffer with depression from seeking treatment. The numbers are staggering. Nearly 80% of people suffering from mental disorders haven’t received treatment despite having lived with the condition for over a year.
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Dr Sunil MR, Director at Cadabam's and Head of clinical care services says that their centres across the city receive upto 600 cases a month, out of which 45% are related to depression. "We have encountered an average of one or two severe suicide attempts every month, which we are able to prevent. Sadly, there are cases where we couldn’t intervene. However, most patients do discuss suicidal thoughts and many of them say they consider their lives to be meaningless and empty,” Dr Sunil adds.
Youngsters pushed to the brink, say parents
Shweta Subramanian, a student in Bengaluru, finds it very difficult to cope with what she calls “pressure cooker” situations. Shweta is like countless others living in urban India, battling anxiety or depression in a landscape where very little help is available. Ironically, Shweta is a student of Psychology, a drastic indication that conditions at educational institutions, coaching centres and even home situations do little to ease the growing burden on children and young adults. “The college expects us to meet impractical deadlines – sometimes even past midnight. We are forced to give up time with family and friends even after we reach home and emotional breakdowns are a weekly occurrence now,” she says.
Recently, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar criticised the working styles of coaching centres, claiming that they “treat students like slaves.” Echoing his sentiments is career counsellor and psychotherapist Kavita Agarwal, who observes that a whopping 70% of the cases she handles at Disha, her counselling firm on Kanakapura Road, are of students who attend classes at these institutes. “The situations our younger generations find themselves in these days are psychologically devastating. Pressure from peers, parents and society at large makes adolescence feel like a traumatic rebirth, as the individual attempts to piece together a comprehensive identity from these situations,” she says. The spirit of competition, highly stoked in mainstream institutions, has also taken its toll. The number of youngsters who experience emotional breakdowns even in their early teens is on the rise.
David Dinakar, artist and father of two believes that the mindset of competition instilled amongst youngsters has taken an ‘unhealthy turn’ recently. “Back then stress and mental pressure were words that we became familiar with only after we started working. Today, kids are losing out on their childhood and slaves to the system instead. This is a matter stakeholders need to look into,” he says, adding that parents have their role to play in understanding the capabilities of their wards and avoiding comparisons at all costs.
However, Randhir Kumar, Secretary of Fprep, an online coaching institute said that the process of preparing for competitive exams, by default, requires stringency from trainers to ensure hard work and discipline from aspirants. “Understanding the strength and opportunity areas of students and then teaching them accordingly helps in providing the best guidance to them. It also keeps students interested in learning more and helps them do their best,” he says.
