This project consists of photographs that I shot last year. My aim is to challenge the stigma. I think it's high time that we start encouraging people to seek help, destigmatize mental health issues and treat it as any other medical condition that require treatment.
The National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 , conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, under the purview of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, reveals that 9.8 million teenagers in the age group 13-17 years suffer depression and other mental health disorders and are “in need of active intervention”.
It’s the year 2020 and the scenario surrounding mental health in India has not changed much. There’s still stigma attached to mental illnesses. People dealing with it are termed as "Pagal".
What lies at the root of this problem is the shortage of funds allocated to mental health in India. In the financial year 2019, the budget allocated to the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) was brought down to Rs 40 crore from Rs 50 crore in FY18. And the funds actually spent were only about Rs 5 crore each during the years.
Budget 2020 has not increased the allocation for NMHP, even though the total healthcare budget saw a 7 per cent increase. The conservative annual estimated cost on the government to implement the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 would be Rs 94,073 crore, according to a study by the Indian Journal of Psychiatry. However, the actual current spending is not even a fraction of the figure.
The health of the mind is just as important as the health of the body. A change of attitude towards mental health is the first step to start solving this issue.
LET'S BREAK THE STIGMA!
“If we start being honest about our pain, our anger, and
our shortcomings instead of pretending they don’t exist, then maybe
we’ll leave the world a better place than we found it.”
– Russell Wilson
It's okay to seek for help. You are not alone. Let's talk!
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