The Stigma of Mental Health Issues in IndiaPosted on | August 11, 2010 I just read an article about mental illness in India and how the stigma of it is preventing people from getting treatment. First off, some general things I’ve learned about India is that they are a collectivist culture, value religion and tradition but newer generations are working and adopting a Western and individualistic lifestyle. Because of its collectivist nature, it stumbles when it tries to move beyond some issues that prevent healthy growth for the culture. For instance, India still places a heavy emphasis on having boy children and parents have resorted to aborting girl fetuses (which is more gentle than killing, selling, or abandoning girls after they’re born which was common before abortions were available), which has created a dangerously abnormal gender ratio. One problem with this is that there are groups of single men that have been causing trouble in society, among other problems that come when gene pools are tampered with. The article from NPR told the story of a young girl in India that had schizophrenia. Her parents were scared to get it diagnosed because it would prevent her from getting married, and also because doctors and others involved just blamed the parents for not feeding her right or some other thing that probably is not true of patients with schizophrenia. The parent’s main concern was the shame it would bring to the girl and the family. The end result is sad. The girl dropped out of school and there was nothing further about where she is or what she’s doing. The avoided topic of mental health issues isn’t just hard on the person or their family, but on society as well, and not just because it perpetuates the problem. Avoiding topics that evoke fear is one of the worst things that anyone can do because it leads to so many other problems as well. It keeps heavy emphasis on superficial things and it also boosts the part of the ego that avoids growth. Change is constant and when we stop critical thinking and analysis, we stop growing, but the world around us continues to grow. In the case of India, lives are at stake. I have no doubt that India will overcome this problem. They have made great strides in removing the stigma from HIV and AIDS which has helped save lives. Plus, they really want to become the world’s superpower, and not growing and adapting will prevent them from doing that. Changing the way they approach health matters is very important to India’s success as a country. They have a huge population of youth that are doing a great job of maintaining both a collectivist nature yet do individualistic things, and the way they treat mental health issues in the future will be a good indicator of their future success. Post by Kate Valdovinos. NPR post: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129091680&sc=fb&cc=fp. SilverCensus is an unbiased senior living and health services resource where consumers are educated on options, facilities & rights. Our services are completely free for seniors and their caregivers as well as Hospital Case Managers & Social Workers who are committed to proper discharge. Clients include assisted living residences, rehabilitation facilities, skilled nursing homes, home health care agencies, HUD housing & independent living communities. We also provide free VA assistance for Veterans and their spouses. Our Care Managers are standing by 24/7 at 888-776-1311 or through the web at: SilverCensus.com CommentsFollow Us
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