from Nina Rai
for Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (GA)

Mangalore Oct 12: World Mental Day  was observed all over the state and specially in the city in different hospitals and by social organizations on Wednesday October 10.

To give a brief idea about the same, world over around 450 million people undergo some form of mental or behavioral disorder. Unfortunately, only miniscule segment have access to even the most basic forms of treatment. It has been observed that in developing countries, most of the residents with severe mental disorders are simply left to fend for themselves and suffer with various forms of mental problems such as depression, dementia, schizophrenia, and substance dependence.

Moreover, very often they are ostracized as well as victimized owing to their illness and become targets of stigma and discrimination. It has been observed that even humanitarian relief bodies and NGOs have not given a high priority to mental health care and made it a major part of their activities, despite the widely recognized need. It is very vital to address this aspect, at an earlier stage after a crisis or disaster or trauma as it is a fact that people will recover faster when their mental health needs are being met at the initial stage.

Various psychosocial programs have been implemented since 1993 by International Medical Corps but in 2003 they began training primary health care providers to integrate mental health into their work, enabling them to identify and treat mental health problems. In addition, IMC sets up a variety of psychosocial support programmes for the wider community depending on its needs.

In conclusion it may be said that there is a need to build bridges for mental well-ness through various counseling and psychotherapy programmes and also undertake measures aimed at reflecting and responding to the new challenges posed by the rapid pace of globalization.