By –Adiba Ansari
Adiba Ansari, a meticulous and ambitious second-year student pursuing a Bachelor in
Psychology at Aligarh Muslim University aiming to work towards creating awareness about
mental health among common masses and establish a career as a therapist to passionately
advocate the same.
Everyone quotes the statement ‘Well, Delulu is the Solulu’ after they build castles in the air. This saying has become very common among GenZ. Essentially, it means that remaining in delusion is seen as a solution to real problems. Being unaware of one’s problems can only be acceptable to some extent, but this GenZ approach to mental health and real-life problems cannot be practiced in real life. The challenges set forth by present times cannot be tackled by the solutions that was proposed during earlier ages. Modern-day problems implore for new and innovative solutions.
The definition of a healthy person for a major populace sums up to the criteria of “physical health” only, in many cultures and regions, the concept of mental health is still alien. It is high time people understand that mental health conditions can impact various aspects of life and can have a detrimental effect on emotional well-being, making it difficult to maintain a healthy balance in life. Mind and body are not separate entities, mental and physical health correspond to each other.
As per the data by WHO, World Health Organization approximately 280 million people in the world have depression. An estimated 4% of the global population currently experience an anxiety disorder making it the most common of all mental disorders. All these facts and figures present a very worrying picture of mankind as with more and more people being affected by mental disorders a bleaker future awaits humanity. A healthy population ensures a healthy future for the planet.
The lack of availability of human resources 24/7, the unaffordable and expensive component of therapy still makes up for a huge reason for people not seeking professional help. Going for therapy, even now is considered a luxury and is an option for only a small chunk of the population. Some of the problems presented can be tackled through the interaction between Psychology and AI. The advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI), in conjunction with other fields, has led to significant progress and can also be employed in the discipline of psychology to ensure feasible results. Psychologists and their skills are irreplaceable, but thoughtful and strategic implementation of AI is crucial to combat the challenges presented by modern-day issues. AI Chatbot can be used as a solution to the lack of human resource availability. People of all ages, races, and cultures can have a confidant with whom they will trust and share their lives and problems. This helps to mitigate the financial problems as AI Chatbot will be free to use and breaks the language barrier.
In urban areas, therapy has become a common term as people are now aware of different mental disorders and have access to professional help. However, in rural areas, the situation remains stagnant. The rural population often considers mental illness as a result of supernatural causes and relies on local spiritual practices to find a cure. It is now imperative to provide education to the rural masses about various mental health disorders and is essential to encourage the rural sector to talk about mental health along with physical health so that they are well-equipped to encounter mental health issues through community centers and establishing weekly or monthly mental health clinics.
India is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-religious society. The people of India take deep pride in their culture and tradition and hold on to their roots. The raw and traditional Indian culture is evident in Indian rural society. A simple yet effective way to transmit information across rural populations is to develop a model where the importance of mental health is imparted through traditional art forms. By devising this model, we can convey the significance of mental health by employing a conventional form of theatre like Natakas, Natyashastra and regional theatre forms like puppet shows, Tamasha (Maharashtra), Bhavai (Gujarat), Yakshagana (Karnataka), Saang (Rajasthan, UP), Bhand Pather (Kashmir). The theatre has always been a popular leisure time among the people of India and is perfect to dissipate knowledge among people. In this model, we can provide employment to people ensuring livelihood and at the same time creating awareness among people through entertainment and reviving the art and culture of India. This model can also be implemented in an urban setting. By creating lively surroundings through theatre, a stage is given to people to talk and discuss among themselves creating awareness.
The majority of the population faces loneliness due to the monotony of life, but often struggle to express themselves, which can lead to various mental health disorders. “The Emotions Bench” provides a platform for people to connect, talk, and find solutions to their problems together. “The Emotions Bench” can be an initiative to let people voice out their problems and emotions by setting up benches in public places giving a platform to talk to strangers, providing a sense of privacy and protection, and letting people bond over shared problems faced by people of different walk of life.
The conversation on mental health has now become the need of the hour and it is important to provide a platform where people can freely talk about the challenges faced by them to inspire people to take the correct steps to tackle their problems. There is still a huge gap in finding newer solutions that correspond to the challenges presented by the modern world and we actively depend on budding psychologists to come up with new and innovative solutions.
REFERENCES: –
-https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
-https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/anxiety-
disorders#:~:text=An%20estimated%204%25%20of%20the,an%20anxiety%20disorder%20(1)
-https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/07/psychology-embracing-ai
-https://medium.com/@worthittsocial/theatre-culture-in-india-c0fa5d7b849d
-https://ekalavya.art/various-forms-of-indian-theatre-its-significance/