Bornali Biswas –Editor in Chief
Everyone wants to stop drug abuse in youngsters, but no one wants to address the cause. We all know that drug abuse is bad, and we all want to stop it. But do we truly understand why this is occurring in the first place? Do we truly want to get to the bottom of the problem? Or are we content to blame the victims while ignoring the fundamental issue?
Drug abuse is a growing problem among India’s youth, and mental health is an important element that is often ignored. The situation is aggravated by drug misuse victims’ lack of access to mental health facilities, and the country has a significant treatment gap for mental diseases, accounting for roughly 15% of the worldwide mental health burden. Unfortunately, according to the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), the discussion of mental health in India has been veiled in stigma and a lack of awareness, preventing nearly 80% of those suffering from mental health issues from receiving treatment. It is often simpler to blame youngsters for their poor choices than to address the core reasons for drug misuse, such as peer pressure and a lack of parental support, stress, and anxiety.
There are also not enough mental health professionals to treat people who do seek help. This is especially true in rural parts of India.
According to the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, there are only 0.75 psychiatrists for every 100,000 patients in India. A better ratio would be 3 to 100,000, the journal said. But even this number is low compared with countries such as Germany, where there are more than 13 psychiatrists for every 100,000 patients as of 2015, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
And, despite data showing a rise in mental health issues, India’s Health Ministry in 2022 allocated less than 1% of its budget to directly deal with psychological illnesses.
“India needs a decentralized approach to mental health that’s not run by the government,” Nelson Vinod Moses, of Suicide Prevention India Foundation, told to media.
“Offering subsidies and grants for starting clinics, hospitals, tech-enabled innovations, research, public health campaigns, and peer-based interventions is the need of the hour,” he added.
Anjali Nagpal, a Delhi-based psychiatrist, told that policies need to be enacted to make mental health treatment a national priority, which will then have a positive effect on tackling other ailments.
“Minimizing the stigma will help in not just reducing the financial burden due to mental health illness, but will also help the government to achieve its targets in other medical fields like diabetes, hypothyroidism, hypertension and cardiology, which are affected by overlooking mental health,” Nagpal said.
Instead of addressing the core cause of youth substance consumption, let us continue to turn a blind eye and pretend that everything is OK. Let us continue to blame the victims while ignoring the fundamental problem. Because, hey, that is a lot simpler than dealing with the issue and making a genuine change. So, keep blaming youngsters for their poor decisions. Continue to ignore the reality that they are coping with undiagnosed mental health concerns. Continue to act as though everything is OK. However, do not be surprised if the problem worsens.
Or It is time to take action and address the root cause of juvenile drug usage in India. Instead of blaming the victims, we should provide them with the assistance they require to overcome their mental health issues and avoid drug usage. This may be accomplished through improving access to mental health treatments, lowering stigma, and educating people about the warning signals of mental health problems.
School,Colleges and Institute should encourage more mental health activities,workshops etc as per the guide lines of Central Government and health department.
We might begin by recognizing the symptoms of anxiousness in students, as described in the article “Anxiety In Students: Recognizing The Warning Signs.” We can provide our youngsters with a better future if we take a proactive approach to mental health and substance misuse.
Let us stop blaming the victims and get to the bottom of this situation. By doing so, we can empower our young people to make healthier choices and live fulfilling lives.
News Mania Welfare Trust is taking the initiative of such activities and workshop under the project “Crescent Oak”.
Please Contact us for more information
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