Context
World Mental Health Day is observed on 10 October each year, with the full aim of raising awareness on mental health issues and program support for programs related to mental health and well-being.
About the Day
- World Mental Health Day was launched on October 10, 1992, by the World Federation for Mental Health.
- In 1994, for the first time, the theme of the day was - ‘Improving the quality of mental health services throughout the world’.
- The motto of the WHO World Health Day 2021 campaign is “Mental health care for all: let's make it reality”.
- The theme for World Mental Health Day 2021 is 'Mental Health in an Unequal World'
What is mental illness?
- Mental illness has two categories - those with any mental illness (AMI) and those with serious mental illness (SMI), although these are not the same.
- AMI: AMI is defined by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Association (SAMHSA) as any mental, emotional or behavioral disorder experienced by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
- SMI: A person with AMI is defined as SMI by SAMHSA if his or her disruption severely disrupts or limits one or more of life's activities.
How common is mental illness?
- 970 million people worldwide have a mental illness or substance abuse problem. (Data, 2018)
- Anxiety is the world's most common mental illness, affecting 284 million people. (Data, 2018)
- Globally, mental illness affects more women (11.9%) than men (9.3%). ( Data, 2018)
India scenario
- With the current closure and radical lifestyle changes, a recent mental health survey of 43% of Indians is currently suffering from depression and is learning to deal with it.
- 26 percent of Indians suffer from mild depression, and 17 percent suffer from severe depression.
- It is about noting that 6% of Indians are very depressed.
