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            On May 11th, 2018 My fellows and I sat through a lecture with Dr. Ram Attur, an adolescent and child Psychiatrist whom has over 20 years of experience working with issues such as ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, and Depression with children under the age 18.  Dr. Attur started Tender Minds, and organization that commits to normalize these functions within children and their families. He opened his lecture stating the importance of understanding that just because someone is physically competent, it does not necessarily mean that they are mentally stable. He asked us all to think on what the mind is and what the brain is. He gave an example between a laptop and software, expressing how one leads to another and how impairing one can affect the other.  In relation to this example, take for instance the case of Dementia. Someone who faces Dementia can start to lose cognitive skills due to the brain that is being affected. This cognitive deficit and inability to process can lead to behavioral problems such a depression and anxiety, which leads to therapy within mental illness.   

        One of the field experiences my fellows and I were able to attend was to spend a day at Mysore university to interact with students who are enrolled in their communications department. We had a conversation with a group of students who expressed that they were a short time away from their final exams. They explained that they have one month to prepare for these exams being as which their grade for their whole semester, relies on that one exam. There are no assignments, projects, extra credit, and definitely no repeats for a class. You could clearly understand the amount of pressure these students undergo during their studies. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, which is updated every two years, reported more than 70 students have committed suicide in Kota, India between 2011 and 2016. This rate is much higher than the national average of 10.6 suicides per 100,000 people in 2014. These reports show that students hang themselves, jump from buildings, etc. (Lakshmi 2016) Dr. Attur centered his lecture on these numbers and how much of social pressure has to do with these suicide rates. He mentioned that educators believe the psychological pressure is very much real. Students are under a constant state of anxiety in India. They are pressured to become doctors and engineers and are unable to study, concentrate, remember to sleep and eat. Academic achievement and performance is affected by much of social pressure.

            Dr. Attur made another interesting point regarding on the use of substance dependence and at what point does it become an addiction. He explained that much of his work and answer to this question ranges from the difference between culture to culture. He asked, “Do you say that someone that takes medicine for blood pressure is addicted to it?” They do not have to be necessarily addicted to it, only simply taking it to reduce a symptom. The conversation between drugs and addiction range from culture to culture because it is typically based on how society will perceive it. This unfortunately could be the deciding factor whether or not a patient will seek treatment. (Boge 2018., et al) ran a sample between five metropolitan cities in India to see if the there was any levels of perceived stigma in reaching out the seek mental care. The results showed that there were clear gender differences in cultural and societal roles and expectations mostly regarding women. Women in the sample were less likely to reach out for treatment than men were due to being ostracized by society, that due to Indian belief, women are not taught to reach out their family when they feel they need mental help.  Dr Atture mentioned that his first encounter with this stigmatization was when he went to treat patients in the UK. When a child was diagnosed as clinically depressed, the family immediately agrees to medications for the patient however, that is not the case with his patients in India. He expressed that Indian culture believe in many home remedies as medicinal medicines for almost any pain but their home remedies are not for any mental help. 

            So how can we break this barrier? Understanding Mental illness from a global standpoint is learning that this is a critical public health issue worldwide. According to review done by Salerno (2016), back home, U.S schools overall have found improvement with mental health knowledge, the attitude towards it, and help-seeking programs among adolescents. Awareness programs within school indeed have had a positive outcome relating to those who are mentally ill. Children and adolescents whom are taught about mental illness just as much as physical illness within schools are a way to learn and cope with one another. This is something Dr. Attur strongly emphasizes. Having more of a conversation and dialogue regarding mental help, can create awareness on the illness globally.

 

 

 

Boge, K., Zieger, A., Mungee, A., Tandon, A., Fuchs, L., Schomerus, G., & ... Hahn, E. (2018).     

        Perceived stigmatization and discrimination of people with mental illness: A survey-based

        study of the general population in five metropolitan cities in India. Indian Journal Of  

        Psychiatry, 60(1), 24-31.  doi:10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_406_17

 

 

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Lakshmi, R. (2016). A spate of suicides highlights the pressures on students in India.                             Washingtonpost.com. Retrieved from  

          http://link.galegroup.com.ezproxy.fiu.edu/apps/doc/A44.1129329/AONE?u=miam11506 

          &sid=AONE&xid=3290fd7e

                   

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Salerno, J. P. (2016). Effectiveness of Universal School-Based Mental Health Awareness   

       Programs  Among Youth in the United States: A Systematic Review. Journal Of School  

       Health, 86(12), 922-931.