Background:
According to the World Health Organization, "there is no health without mental health" underlines mental health is an integral and essential component of health. Indeed, mental health can be defined as a state of well-being enabling individuals to realize their abilities, cope with the everyday stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and contribute to their communities. Unfortunately and practically, in most parts of the world, mental health and mental disorders are not given importance as physical health.
Current Situation:
Every sixth Indian needs mental health help (Murthy RS., 2015), and mental problems are more in the 30–49 age group or over 60; low income is linked to mental disorders. As per the NIMHANS study, the prevalence of mental health problems is 13.7 % in the Indian population, and out of them, 10.6% require immediate intervention (Gururaj G, 2016). The growing burden of mental disorders around the world is on the rise. The WHO report states that the global burden of mental disorders among Indian adults (those above 18 years) will be 15% in 2020 (Khurana S, 2016). This is equivalent to 150 million people who need a mental health care intervention. Only 30 million are being treated or seeking care for it (NMHS, 2016). According to the census data of 2011, people suffering from mental retardation & illness were around 2.3 million (Rajyasabha, 2011).
As there is a change in the pattern of illnesses, it can be said that; lifestyle has a significant influence on human beings' physical and mental health. The numbers, which define India's current mental health condition, are equally sad. Common mental disorders, severe mental disorders, and substance use coexist together. About 10.6 % of the surveyed population was suffering from any mental disorder and the lifetime prevalence of the comorbid mental disorder is 13.7%. Major depressive disorder and anxiety affected roughly 49 million and 37 million people, respectively, in India at any one time in 2013 (James Milner, 2016, The Lancet). It affects the middle age working populations, both adolescents and the elderly. Apart from those, urban metros are witnessing a growing burden of mental health problems. Mental Disorders such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder and mental disability are associated with mental illness and have social implications and causes (NMHP, 2014).
