In recent times the mental health of all people from school children to teachers, parents, mothers, youth is posing a problem for the society. Suicide is a major national public health issue in India. 171,000 suicides were recorded in 2022, registering a 4.2% increase over 2021 and a jump of 27% compared to 2018. The rate of suicide per 100,000 population has increased to 12.4 in 2022 which is the highest year for this data. In 2025, the male-to-female suicide ratio in 2021 was 72.5: 27.4.
Mental disorders
1 in every 8 people in the world live with a mental disorder, mental disorders involve significant disturbances in thinking, emotional regulation, or behavior, there are many different types of mental disorders, and effective prevention and treatment options exist, most people do not have access to effective care. A mental disorder is characterized by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation, or behaviour. It is usually associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning. There are many different types of mental disorders. Mental disorders may also be referred to as mental health conditions. The latter is a broader term covering mental disorders, psychosocial disabilities and (other) mental states associated with significant distress, impairment in functioning, or risk of self-harm.
In 2019, 1 in every 8 people, or 970 million people around the world were living with a mental disorder, with anxiety and depressive disorders the most common. In 2020, the number of people living with anxiety and depressive disorders rose significantly because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Initial estimates show a 26% and 28% increase respectively for anxiety and major depressive disorders in just one year. While effective prevention and treatment options exist, most people with mental disorders do not have access to effective care. Many people also experience stigma, discrimination and violations of human rights.
Estimates for number of suicides in India vary. For example, a study published in The Lancet projected 187,000 suicides in India in 2010, while official data by the Government of India claims 134,600 suicides in the same year. Similarly, for 2019, while NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) reported India’s suicide rate to be 10.4, according to WHO data, the estimated age-standardized suicide rate in India for the same year is 12.9. They have estimated it to be 11.1 for women and 14.7 for men the United States witnessed a significant rise in suicide rates, reaching levels not seen since 1941 according to the USN (United States Navy or University Seat Number). The age-adjusted suicide rate climbed to 14.7 deaths per 100,000 individuals, surpassing the 2022 rate of 14.2.
This marks a concerning 30% increase over the past two decades. Considering the mental health, current Issues and challenges in India, the risk of becoming depressed is increased by poverty, unemployment, and life events such as the death of a loved one or a relationship. The private loans, the illicit extramarital relationships, alcohol abuse, drug abuse such as the use of opium, heroin, etc., of late “prestige suicides” and brutal murders by superior communities when either a love or marriage settles in between a lower community bride-groom and upper community bride or vice versa. Further low between Hindu and Muslim or different religions also leads to severe distress, depression, and psychological illness in the couple the family members which leads to a catastrophe. In this context, there is a great need of community counselors and family counselors to solve this sort of issues to prevent suicides and psychiatric problems.
Need of mental health professionals
It is observed that nowadays, the number of psychiatrists and mental health practitioners is gradually increasing. According to the study published by Meghrajani VR, Marathe M, et al, “A Comprehensive Analysis of Mental Health Problems in, India and the Role of Mental Asylums”., Cureus 2023 Jul 27;15(7):e42559. PMCID: PMC10460242. Mental health disorders have a high prevalence, impacting a considerable proportion of the population. It was also enforced by National Institutes of Health (NIH). The burden of mental disorders across the states of India – The Lancet 20 Dec 2019 stated that depressive disorders contributed the most to the total mental disorders.
In patients with psychiatric unresponsiveness, the segmental neurologic examination is likewise normal. The eyelid are incapable of the slow closure of the passively opened eyelids that accompanies true coma. Pupils are briskly responsive. At times the diagnosis may be difficult because psychiatric delirium or unresponsiveness is superimposed on underlying physical illness (e.g., a patient hospitalized with a severe medical or neurologic illness may be so anxious that he is unable to cope with his environment had thus develops delirium or restlessness or unresponsiveness).
Psychiatric disorders are behavioral, emotional, or cognitive dysfunctions. To explain cognitive dysfunction it is a condition that impairs a person’s ability to think, learn, remember, and make decisions. It can affect a person’s attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. That can cause distress or impairment. They are also known as mental illnesses or mental disorders.
Common psychiatric disorders
Anxiety disorders: Excessive fear and worry, depression: Depressed mood, loss of interest in activities, bipolar disorder: Alternating depressive episodes and manic symptoms, schizophrenia: Significant impairments in perception and changes in behavior, disruptive behavior disorders: Persistent behavior problems, Eating disorders: Behavioral and emotional disorders related to food, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a mental health condition characterized by persistent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions) that cause significant distress and interfere with daily life. Behavioral and emotional disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Nightmares, flashbacks, hypervigilance, difficulty concentrating, substance use disorders: Drug addiction and alcohol use disorder, other psychiatric disorders Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a condition related to brain development that impacts how a person perceives and socializes with others, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Intellectual disabilities, Motor disorders, and Communication disorders.
Risk factors
In the modern world, stress is playing a major role. Unhealthy competition in life, Genetic factors, environmental factors, physical factors, and prenatal factors, issues in the family, misunderstandings between wife and husband, parents and children, and friends can contribute to psychiatric disorders.
Treatment
Treatments for psychiatric disorders include behavioral therapy, applied behavior analysis (ABA), educational interventions, and medications. Also, several latest techniques are in the developmental stage.