Today 10th October 2011 is World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day (October 10), is a day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy.It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization. This day, each October thousands of supports come to celebrate this annual awareness program to bring attention to Mental Illness and its major effects on peoples' life worldwide.

Mental Health refers to a broad array of activities directly or indirectly related to the mental well-being component included in the WHO's definition of health: "A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease". It is related to the promotion of well-being, the prevention of mental disorders, and the treatment and rehabilitation of people affected by mental disorders.

The theme for Mental Health Day, 2011 is "The Great Push: Investing in mental health." This year, the day hopes to enhance discussions on mental disorders, and to encourage investments in prevention, treatment and promoting awareness of mental illnesses.

Issues of Mental Health Care

• Dispensing mental heakth  services at community centers and general hospitals and not merely at larger hospitals.
• Promote and safeguard mental health at the early stage—among children—to prevent mental diseases in adulthood and old age.
• Increase investment in mental health care and make it more effective across the globe.
• Creating awareness too requires funds and is hard to come by.
• People with mental disorders are mostly neglected and traumatized. In several places, mental diseases are not categorized as an illness.
• Even the treatment that patients receive is far from humane because they are considered to be weak or immoral and seemingly deserve nothing better. It is very common to see human rights being violated in homes, roads or at treatment centers all through the world, when dealing with mentally-ill  individuals

Need of the Hour

Mental Health is a priority for all people. Even though mental health services are increasingly being recognized as critical, they still get short shrift. They do not get the resources and support they deserve

Consistent action requiring involvement of multisectoral partnership including Govt, private sectors, NGOs and the government is the need of the hour and this will go a long way in ensuring a sound mind, in a sound body, to all.