Demystifying Mental Health

Does being fit imply being physically fit only? Does being free from diseases also mean being free from mental disorders?

Well, it is high time now we talk about mental health and its importance. Mental health refers to psychological, social and emotional well-being. It is not merely the absence of a disorder. It is a state of happiness and positivity. Anyone can suffer from mental health issues. The factors associated with a person�s personal life affect the mental health of the person. There can be factors such as life experiences of a person like trauma or harassment, biological factors, socio-economic factors like financial constraints or family issues which can lead to depression, anxiety, stress or insecurities.

When we say Health is Wealth, it includes physical fitness and mental well being. Both mental health and physical health are critical for an individual�s performance and success in life. In this busy world, everyone is engaged in their work. Teenagers are all piled with their school work and among peers. College students are occupied with several activities for their careers. Adults are rushing behind their work or business dealing with a lot of people including their bosses and customers. Senior citizens are experiencing loneliness due to the increasing nuclear family trend. People often get frustrated from their daily monotonous and exhausting life and some end up in stress or depression. Social relationship values are almost void in today�s times. Everyone does not have a good relationship with their co-workers or partner or family or with friends. In the digital era where people are connecting and socializing with plenty of people online, there are only a few people who have really close friends. They do not have people to talk to, to share their feelings with. From teenagers to senior citizens, anyone can suffer from poor mental health conditions. This is because at every stage of life there are issues to handle.

The pandemic over the last two years has made it worse. The pandemic did not only harm the world population's physical health but it also took a toll on their mental health. The escalated unemployment, shutting down of businesses, reduced salaries and diminishing savings harshly affected millions of people. Furthermore, the pandemic harmed peoples� minds as well. However, during the lockdown, the awareness regarding mental health was finally spreading which prevented the aggravating mental health problem

•  Depression takes a toll on peoples� minds when society judges their body size. Teenagers and young adults often take these judgments seriously and it affects their mental well-being. The body shape, body size or colour is the basis on which people are judged and teased even in the twenty-first century.

There are also various myths about mental health. People often think consulting a psychologist means that the person is mad. There is a big no for this perception. To bust all the myths regarding mental health and to encourage students to be mentally healthy, the Mentoring Cell of SCMS Noida has organized a webinar as a part of the value-added course on 31st March 2022. Dr Nupur Kohli, healthcare leader and keynote speaker, will break all the stereotypes by elucidating the importance of mental health and will discuss with students how to be self-confident.���