Mangaluru: A special panel discussion on the occasion of World Mental Health Day was organised by newskarnataka.com on Sunday October 10 at 10.00 am.
The discussion was held on the topic ‘Mental Health in an Unequal World’.
The panelists for the event included Dr. K. T. Shwetha, Director and Psychologist, Anirvedha – Resource Center for Psychological Well Being, Mangaluru, Dr. Ravichandra Karkal, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Yenepoya Medical College, Consultant Psychiatrist, Yenepoya Specialty Hospital, Mangaluru, Benzita Roshal Ferrao, Host and Psychologist, Anirvedha – Resource Center for Psychological Well Being, Mangaluru, and Akshara Damle, Celebrity Psychologist, Founder of Manosamvaada, Bengaluru.
Explaining the significance, the theme for the current year, Mental Health in an Unequal World, holds in today’s situation, Dr. Ravichandra Karkal said, “All of us in the race of life have certain constraints. These may be economic, social or familial. They put you a few steps backward in the starting line and hence one cannot expect everyone to function in the same way.”
He further said that the famous saying ‘Covid is a great equaliser’ is not entirely true. “During the first pandemic wave when some of us were drying to perfect our dalgona coffee and fluffy cakes, a large number of migrants were desperately trying to get back to their home lands. And hence pandemic has not made us equal but rather it has deepened inequality among us,” he said. Covid has caused disruption in all health services including mental health and all these things have created a set of complex problems in today’s situation, he added.
Dr. K. T. Shwetha said that inclusivity is one of the major concerns of the marginalised groups of Mental Health. Inclusivity should begin from our homes and that would result in greater reforms in the society like having a resource centre, she argued. “Reintegration back to the society becomes very difficult because of stigmas attached to mental health diagnostics. People should be more open to talk about their concerns and these things should be normalised,” she said.
Mental health is gaining awareness and a lot of workplaces, communities are learning to provide for such needs. Answering the question of accommodating Mental health of all as a community, Akshara Damle said that the challenge started when the companies started work from home idea during the Covid pandemic. “A lot of companies started putting pressure on their employees and they in turn started getting more and more disturbed, stressed and helpless. However there have been many leaders who have been sensitive to mental health challenges. Some companies are promoting awareness classes and so on. It is important to take care of our health also while we are working,” he said.
Mental health has definitely been one of the biggest invisible vicitim of the pandemic. Dr. Ravinchandra Karkal explained the changes we are seeing due to pandemic and what these changes signify. “Since the pandemic, a lot of people have become more aware about the mental health aspect of their life. One positive thing I have noticed is the adaptation of teleconsultation units by our patients. These services were unimaginable before the pandemic. In the government sector too last year they released a helpline called as ‘Kiran’ which was the first in nation. Such a comprehensive helpline was only possible because the higher-ups understood the consequences of mental health issues,” he said.
The education field was all geared up for huge changes, but since the last English board exam of March 2020 got cancelled, the education field has seen monumental, unprecedent changes. With two years of quarantine learning and schools and colleges slowing opening, Dr. K. T. Shwetha spoke about what to expect of the psychological wellbeing of children, adolescents and young adults. “Lot of things have changed and when they come back to offline classes; things are going to be difficult. Even sitting and writing is going to be difficult. For small children socialising will be a hard task. Give everyone space. Let’s not hurry back into this. A lot of protocols need to be followed and the psychological concerns should be taken into consideration,” she said.
“Even while working from home, let the employees have specific times for their breaks. Tea breaks used to be very precious for the employees because that is where they would socialise but now it has become so mechanical. We have started running faster and faster without taking a break. It should be specified that the employees can take break,” said Akshara Damle.
Concluding the discussion, Dr. Ravichandra Karkal spoke about what can be done best to help or educate those who approach us with mental health concerns. “Mental health illness is like any other illness. You just need to seek help and take care of it. This is not a sign of weakness and we need to overcome self-stigma. We can change the attitude of others by speaking more about it and people will have letter fear about it. Increasing budget allocation will also make a huge difference,” he added.
Dr. K. T. Shwetha said that there is a big difficulty in assessing good therapy services. “There are a lot of children who backout from therapy session only because they cannot afford to pay. If there is a mental health consultant and resources which are easily available then it would be making a big difference,” she said.
As much as mental health is a right for all, we do often forget mental health is a duty of all, that each of us need to do our part in creating a safe and accommodating society.
Speaking on the responsibilities in this goal of being a mental health ally, Akshara Damle said, “those who are ready to go through with helping this cause should go through some training. Mental health is not easy to understand just by reading about it. We can come up with simple services to teach others.”
“As mental health professionals, we have to come together to create a better space for everyone,” he added.
