New Delhi: While society has started openly discussing issues such as anxiety, depression, and stress, men’s mental health continues to be an overlooked area. About 40 per cent of men in India do not talk about their mental health openly, over fear of stigma, said experts on Thursday (June 13). International Men’s Health Week is observed every year from June 10 to June 16, to raise awareness on men’s health issues.
Dr Samir Kumar Praharaj, Professor and Head – Department of Psychiatry, Kasturba Medical College and Hospitals, MAHE, Manipal told IANS,
The lack of discussions about men’s mental health or their propensity to seek help along with the growing suicide rates may be explained by the male gender norms that are socially constructed.
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Dr Shyam Bhat, Psychiatrist, and Chairperson, of LiveLoveLaugh said,
About 40 per cent of Indian men don’t talk about their mental health openly, largely due to stigmas and misconceptions, including the mistaken belief that men should handle their emotions on their own.
Historically, societal expectations have dictated that men embody strength, resilience, and emotional stoicism. Biological and hormonal influences like testosterone also contribute to different emotional responses in men.
Dr Samir said that in most cases, men are an example of how to mask emotions since it is considered shameful for them to express feelings or seek help.
Dr Shyam told IANS,
When depressed, men are more likely to display aggression and anger rather than sadness, compared with women, who may be more in touch with their sadness and vulnerability. Consequently, many men suffer in silence or become isolated and resort to substance abuse, as they battle their internal struggles without the support they desperately need. This increases suicide risk in men, and consequently, death by suicide in men occurs 2.5 times more than in women.
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The doctors called for awareness campaigns and educational programmes to assist in the elimination of myths and stigmatisation associated with mental disorders as well as foster conversation.
Dr Samir stressed healthy habits such as exercising, doing mindful activities, and engaging in creative outlets for better mental health.
The health expert said,
The emphasis should be shifted to altering the perception of male masculinity and persuading men to take their mental health issues seriously and to seek help if they experience any difficulties.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
NDTV – Dettol have been working towards a clean and healthy India since 2014 via the Banega Swachh India initiative, which in its Season 10 is helmed by Campaign Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana. The campaign aims to highlight the inter-dependency of humans and the environment, and of humans on one another with the focus on One Health, One Planet, One Future – Leaving No One Behind. It stresses on the need to take care of, and consider, everyone’s health in India – especially vulnerable communities – the LGBTQ population, indigenous people, India’s different tribes, ethnic and linguistic minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, geographically remote populations, gender and sexual minorities. In a world post COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign will continue to raise awareness on the same along with focussing on the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children, fight malnutrition, mental well-being, self-care, science and health, adolescent health & gender awareness. Along with the health of people, the campaign has realised the need to also take care of the health of the eco-system. Our environment is fragile due to human activity, which is not only over-exploiting available resources, but also generating immense pollution as a result of using and extracting those resources. The imbalance has also led to immense biodiversity loss that has caused one of the biggest threats to human survival – climate change. It has now been described as a “code red for humanity.” The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene. Banega Swasth India will also be taking forward the dream of Swasth Bharat, the campaign feels that only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and the country can become a Swasth or healthy India.
