A quick glance at the numbers shows us that approximately 121 million people ( that's a pretty big number) are suffering from some form of depression worldwide. A closer study of the demographics tells us that 36% people of the earlier number belong to India. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) statistics reveal that a total of 1,35,445 people committed suicide in 2012 which amounts to a an average of 15 suicides an hour or 371 suicides daily. Further, a vast majority of these people are students in the age group 15-19. The rising number of suicides in students due to depression cannot go unnoticed. So what is it in India that is leading the students to take this drastic step? Is it their personal problems? Or, is it the complexity of the education system? Whose fault is this?
Before answering these questions, I would like to tell you about the state of depression. Even you might have suffered a little depression or heard from your friends about their depressed state. Its really hard to understand one's mind when he/she is in a depressed mood. What that person thinks, says or does is very different from their usual demeanor. So what makes them do these unusual activities? I can't actually explain that but we can say that at that time, a depressed person is concerned just about himself/herself. Depression is defined as a mood disorder, in which people become sad and pessimistic. Most people feel sad, discouraged, or "down" sometimes, but that is not depression. In clinical depression these feelings last for a long time and are combined with other symptoms. Someone with depression might have one of these symptoms : strong sad feelings or no strong feelings at all, feeling guilty, feeling helpless or hopeless, anxiety, fear, low self-esteem or a loss of interest in life.
I believe that young people are at high risk of depression because more and more youths are failing to meet achievement expectations due to limited opportunities and the rising population. According to the Lancet study, likely reasons for the rise in suicide among young people is the increased pressure that has come with new economic opportunity and social fragmentation. Another factor could be the increasing loneliness due to social networking, says Dr. Vikram Patel.
The young face very high competition and pressure from families to succeed. Many parents think their child should come first in the class. Of course, that can't always happen. The education system is to be blamed for the heavy load of the syllabus and filling up books with unneeded content which kids fail to understand. The government is equally responsible. With rapid development in India across all sectors, the government has failed to increase opportunities for students to succeed.
When youths start to despair, they often don't think to seek help, or shun the idea because "they think psychiatry is only for crazy people" said Dr. T.S. Sathyanarayana Rao, head of psychiatry at J. S. S. Medical College & Hospital in Mysore. While medical care in India has improved manifold over the decade, mental health is not a priority in India. It has to be a priority. Many people are not aware of the fact that mental health is behind suicide.
Crisis centers should be set up to handle situations regarding depression among people. Mental health care institutes are needed severely. Awareness programs are required not only for students, but also for their parents to recognize their child's ability and then set targets. The government has to look into the plot-holes of the existing education system and take up the required efforts immediately.
Until we meet again, stay happy!
No comments:
Post a Comment