MENTAL HEALTH STATUS IN INDIA: CHALLENGES AND INTERVENTIONS

Abstract

The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community”. Mental health gives an individual the feeling of worth, control and understanding of internal and external functioning. Mental health is also affected by biological, social, psychological and environmental factors. The individual at the core of functioning is surrounded by the social world – in the proximal world it will include family, kinship, employers, peers, colleagues, friends and, in the distal context, society and culture. The interaction between individuals and society becomes critical in building healthy communities, which in turn can promote mental health.