The document discusses mental health and illness, including definitions, causes, symptoms, stigma and discrimination, and the Indian Mental Health Act of 1987. Some key points covered include:
- Mental health is defined as a state of well-being and ability to cope with stress and function productively. Mental illness refers to conditions that affect cognition, emotion, or behavior.
- Mental illnesses have biological, psychological, and social causes, and are not due to personal weakness. They can cause suffering, disability, and increased mortality.
- The Indian Mental Health Act of 1987 aimed to safeguard rights of the mentally ill and regulate institutions, but was criticized for not fully reflecting medical considerations or removing criminal stigma.
36. INDIAN MHA (1987), DETAILS OF THE ACT, OBJECTIVES, HIGHLIGHTS & CRITICISM
37.
38. INDIAN MHA, 1987 (CONTD….) Terminologies used in the act NEW TERM OLD TERM Psychiatric hospital Nursing home Asylum Mentally ill person Lunatic Mentally ill prisoner Criminal Lunatic
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49. References 1. Park K. Park's textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine. 17th ed., Jabalpur. Banarsidas Bhanot Publisher. 2002. p.12. 2. Pillay VV.Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. 14th ed., Hyderabad. Paras Medical Publishers. 2004. P.311-12. 3. Knight B. et al. Cox, Medical Jurisprudence and Toxicology. 6th ed., Allahabad: The Law Book Company Pvt. Ltd. 1990. p. 507-8,810. 4. Vij K.TextBook of Forensic Medicine. Principles and Practice. 1st ed., New Delhi. BI Churchill Livingstone. 2001. p. 788. 5. Mental Health Act, 1987. 6. Basu R. Fundamentals of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology. Kolkata. Book & Allied Pvt. Ltd., 2003. p. 236-7. 7. Mental health: Future challenges,Rachel Jenkins,Howard Meltzer,Peter B. Jones,Terry Brugha,Paul Bebbington,Michael Farrell,David Crepaz-Keay,Martin Knapp,
50.
Editor's Notes
Myth . The actual fact that is that brain disorders, like heart disease and diabetes, are legitimate medical illnesses. Research shows there are genetic and biological causes for psychiatric disorders, and they can be treated effectively. Myth. The truth is that the incidence of violence in people who have a brain disorder is not much higher than it is in the general population. Those suffering from a psychosis such as schizophrenia are more often frightened, confused and despairing than violent. Fact. Most experts agree that a genetic susceptibility, combined with other risk factors, leads to a psychiatric disorder. In other words, mental illness have a physical cause. Fact. Some people think that depression is a result of character flaws or personality weaknesses, and that depressed people could just snap out of it if they really wanted to. We know now that depression has nothing to do with being lazy or weak. It results from changes in brain chemistry or brain function, and medication and /or psychotherapy often help people to recover. Myth . Schizophrenia is often confused with multiple personality disorder. Actually, schizophrenia is a brain disorder that robs people of their ability to think clearly and logically. Symptoms range from social withdrawal to hallucinations and delusions. Medication has helped may to lead fulfilling and productive lives.
6. Fact. It is not normal for older adults to be depressed. Signs of depression in older people include loss of interest in activities, sleep disturbances and lethargy. Depression in the elderly is often undiagnosed, and it is important that family and carers recognise the problem and seek professional help. 7. Children and adolescents can develop severe mental illnesses, left untreated these problems can get worse.. 8. Fact. You can’t just make a mental illness go away because you want it to. Ignoring it doesn’t make it go away either. Serious mental illnesses require professional help, therapeutic interventions / medication 9. Myth. Modern ECT has given a new lease of life to people who suffer from severe and debilitating depression. It is used when other treatments such as psychotherapy or medication fail or cannot be used. Patients who receive ECT are asleep under anaesthesia, so they do not feel anything
6. Fact. It is not normal for older adults to be depressed. Signs of depression in older people include loss of interest in activities, sleep disturbances and lethargy. Depression in the elderly is often undiagnosed, and it is important that family and carers recognise the problem and seek professional help. 7. Children and adolescents can develop severe mental illnesses, left untreated these problems can get worse.. 8. Fact. You can’t just make a mental illness go away because you want it to. Ignoring it doesn’t make it go away either. Serious mental illnesses require professional help, therapeutic interventions / medication 9. Myth. Modern ECT has given a new lease of life to people who suffer from severe and debilitating depression. It is used when other treatments such as psychotherapy or medication fail or cannot be used. Patients who receive ECT are asleep under anaesthesia, so they do not feel anything
The cultural context of suicide and mental illness All aspects of mental health, including suicide, are viewed in contrasting ways by different cultures, religions, legal and social systems around the world. It is imperative, however, that in discussing this sensitive area we steer clear of crass cultural generalizations and avoid holding up one particular cultural norm over others. We must celebrate cultural diversity, whilst remaining open to challenges and debate, and where necessary change. Moreover, it is important to note that in an era of cultural globalization, attitudes towards suicide will be in a constant state of flux with old cultural norms interacting with new values and cultures from around the world [4] . There are enormous variations in suicide rates in different parts of the world. Rates of up to 60 per 100 000 are reported for men in former Soviet Block countries and Russia, whilst some Central and South American countries have rates as low as 3 per 100 000 [5] . Such discrepancies can be attributed both to differences in the underlying rate of suicide, but also to differences in the way in which unexplained deaths are classified. Both explanations are influenced by the contrasting cultural contexts of suicide in different parts of the world. Evidence for the importance of culture in understanding suicide comes from the fact that the age and sex groups at greatest risk of suicide vary in different parts of the world. In most parts of the world the male to female ratio of those who suicide is high, but it is lower in Asia, and China especially, where female suicide is more common. Reasons for this difference are largely speculative but may revolve around the role of women in society, marriage arrangements and other cultural differences [6] . In some parts of the world suicide is a highly ritualized and symbolic activity with people investing their actions with meanings that are based on commonly understood cultural norms. Understanding cultural differences in the approach to suicide is not simply an end in and of itself. Rather such understanding must change the way that programs are designed and implemented. Programs must be culturally appropriate, and recognize that people will often approach their mental illness and suicidal thoughts in the context of religious and cultural values. Furthermore, when specific subsets of a cultural group have an increased risk of suicide, there is a clear need to try and understand and ameliorate this risk. One encouraging example is the recent initiative by the Chinese Women’s Organization (the largest women’s organization in China) to reduce the high rate of suicide amongst Chinese women by setting up crisis hotlines, women’s shelters and research centers [8] .