Mental Health problems and its prevention in Nepal

By Man Bahadur Thapa (Kishore)

Introduction

Mental health is a global problem. In the modern world, about 1 in 4 persons are suffering from some sort of mental problems (Jenkins et al., 2011) and it is a serious issue 4 out of 5 persons in low and middle income countries do not receive proper care and issue of mental health gets the least attention (WHO, 2008). The worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has also contributed to neuropsychiatric issues such as depression, anxiety, panic attack, fear, psychomotor excitement, suicidal deaths and a general decrease in overall wellbeing (Brooks et al., 2020). For low and middle-income countries like Nepal, where mental health services are inadequate and there are few human resources available to address concerns, the burden is at large. Consequently, suicide has been becoming the second-leading cause of death among young people worldwide and Nepal has the seventh highest rate of suicide in the world, with most suicides are occurring among girls and women of reproductive age (Cousins, 2016). Furthermore, the failed resilience from the effects of major earthquake of 2015, has contributed to increased prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorders among the survivors (Hagaman, 2016).

Major challenges for addressing the Mental Health in Nepal

• The stigma and discrimination towards mental health seekers by pre-labeling them as "mad" has made difficult to recognize and treat, whereas the services are inadequate and unable to combat the issue of mental health ( Brenman et al., 2014).
• At the community level, counseling and psychotherapy are unavailable and the country has adopted the policy of mental health system since 1997 which is inadequate and lacks a framework for execution (Luitel et al., 2015).

Preventative measurements for addressing the Mental Health Problem in Nepal

• It is essential to use trained healthcare personnel, make the right referrals and invest in mental health response mechanisms to improve the diagnosis and treatment process by identifying the vulnerable individuals, groups in the community (Rijal, 2018).
• Enabling environment at work place and awareness program of mental health issues, would help to reduce the prevalence of stigma around mental illnesses (WHO, 2017)
• A very significant catchment area for addressing mental health concerns may be found in educational institutions and the workplace environment by implementing programs such as awareness against illicit drugs, counselling, promoting child-friendly environment and providing training and orientation for teachers to identify and response mental health issues ( Brenman et al., 2014).

Conclusion

For the prevention and to lower the risk factors of mental health problems the primary preventative strategy should be adopted at various levels of community and society. Mental health education is a promising tool to raise awareness and understanding regarding mental health for the schools/colleges students. There is a critical need for sufficient mental health education on a college campus Therefore, in order to create a supportive environment for the general public, such challenges should be able to identify at all levels of government, from the local to the global

References

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World Health Organization (2017). World Health day- Depression: Let's Talk. http://apps.who.int/depression-campaign-2017/en/events (accessed 22 May 2017)

Brenman, N. F., Luitel, N. P., Mall, S., & Jordans, M. J. (2014). Demand and access to mental health services: a qualitative formative study in Nepal. BMC international health and human rights, 14(1), 1-12.

Brooks, S. K., Webster, R. K., Smith, L. E., Woodland, L., Wessely, S., Greenberg, N., & Rubin, G. J. (2020). The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. The lancet, 395(10227), 912-920.

Jenkins, R., Baingana, F., Ahmad, R., McDaid, D., & Atun, R. (2011). Mental health and the global agenda: core conceptual issues. Mental health in family medicine, 8(2), 69.

World Health Organization. (2008). mhGAP: Mental Health Gap Action Programme: scaling up care for mental, neurological and substance use disorders. World Health Organization.

Cousins, S. (2016). Nepal's silent epidemic of suicide. The Lancet, 387(10013), 16-17.

Hagaman, A. K., Maharjan, U., & Kohrt, B. A. (2016). Suicide surveillance and health systems in Nepal: a qualitative and social network analysis. International journal of mental health systems, 10(1), 1-19.

Luitel, N. P., Jordans, M. J., Adhikari, A., Upadhaya, N., Hanlon, C., Lund, C., & Komproe, I. H. (2015). Mental health care in Nepal: current situation and challenges for development of a district mental health care plan. Conflict and health, 9(1), 1-11.

Barry, M. M., Clarke, A. M., Jenkins, R., & Patel, V. (2013). A systematic review of the effectiveness of mental health promotion interventions for young people in low and middle income countries. BMC public health, 13(1), 1-19.