New Delhi: Almost three months of lockdown has not only left a huge impact on the physical health of people, but has taken a toll on mental health too with daily reports of suicides, isolation, and fear generating widespread psychological trauma.
The number of suicide cases in India is witnessing a sharp rise with horrific incidents coming to the fore quite frequently. The sudden demise of young Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput has sent waves of shock across the entire nation, besides leaving a huge void in the film industry.
Another shocking incident that came to light was the alleged suicide of a 56-year-old IRS officer over the fear of spreading coronavirus to his family. He ended his life by drinking an "acid-like substance" in his car in Dwarka area of the national capital on Monday. Many such incidents are being reported amid the pandemic-induced lockdown.
Mental health experts opine that growing feelings of loneliness and social isolation, and negative thoughts due to the pandemic are the reasons behind the increasing cases of suicide and depression.
"Whole world has been under lockdown for the past 3 months, it has given everyone more time to introspect which has brought up their mental struggles to the fore. A lot many times, people who might be at unrest mentally occupy themselves with chores, socializing etc. and neglect these issues. But one needs to understand that these mental health issues already existed," Arouba Kabir, mental health therapist, Enso Wellness, told ETV Bharat in an interview.
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"But with the inability to go out, the lack of physical contact has definitely added to the feelings of loneliness, depression, and confinement. This spiral of negative thought keeps building up and ultimately the lack of communication leads to them taking this drastic step," she added.
Suicide knows no boundaries as it affects every class of person irrespective of sexual orientation, political affiliation, ethnicity or age. However, the high number of suicides has highlighted the importance of an interactive environment and the need to have better conversations on mental health.
For instance, the suicide of Devika, a 14-year-old girl from Malappuram, as she was unable to attend virtual classes due to the lack of facilities at home, left the whole nation shuddered. Experts say that it is important that parents ensure a more positive environment at home and talk openly at home.
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On the other hand, a man in Hyderabad reportedly died due to suicide at a quarantine centre. According to reports, the 28-year-old who was set to marry a woman from his hometown, had returned from Qatar. Since he was stuck in Qatar due to the lockdown, the man could not meet his fiancée for a long time. It resulted in an argument, which resulted in the man resorting to the extreme step.
"Mind is the engine for the entire body, if the mind isn't at peace it will affect each and every sphere of your life from decreased productivity at work to troubled personal relationships to illnesses. Thus, addressing mental health and issues related to it becomes increasingly important. We need to realise and understand this is a grave problem which can affect anyone, irrespective of social status, age, and time," Arouba said.
"Be it farmers in villages to celebrities in their fancy mansions, from a 13-year-old child to a 50-year-old man, everybody can go through their own struggles and reach a point where they think they have exhausted every means of survival and decide to take the heavenly abode," she added.
Even though a majority of current millennials do understand the seriousness of mental health, but the number keeps declining as the age keeps increasing.
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"Suicide and depression are topics which people hesitate to talk about. Already depressed people have been left alone with the darkest of their thoughts in a very dark period of their life making every day a struggle. Loss of job or money has also increased the strain on individuals since the cost of living has increased considerably in these times," she further added.
It is worth noting that according to the National Crime Records Bureau, 1,34,516 people committed suicide in the year 2018.
Furthermore, Senior Psychologist Meeta Shah with NMIMS, Mumbai said, "Suicidal tendency has no boundaries and it is very necessary to prevent suicide by following certain norms such as session of meditation a must, societal pressure is another factor that should be taken care of. One needs to understand that money and fame is not everything in life. Even for people working from home amid the crisis, it is very important for office management to cooperate and give them less work and avoid salary cut. Parental pressure on kids is a no-no to prevent depression and suicidal tendencies."
Neither stress nor depression is new to India. Stress has been an integral part of Indian life and in recent years, mental health has become a troubling issue in the country. However, there is every need to strengthen psychological well being.
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