News Analysis India

Tag: Depression

  • Selena Gomez feels therapy ‘could change the world’, opens up about her battle with depression

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Singer-actress Selena Gomez hopes to “give back” to the world after starting her therapy journey.

    The 31-year-old superstar had been battling her mental health for years and fell into a dark place. Since starting therapy, however, she has begun to heal.

    Gomez opened up about her battle with depression when speaking with The Kit.

    “I think what has truly helped me is learning about it. I started learning about Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. And I started to really understand, or at least try to understand, why I was feeling these emotions,” she said, reports aceshowbiz.com.

    “Then later on, finding out I have a diagnosis of bipolar wasn’t scary to me. It felt like I understood what was happening and then I could try to find the right people to help me and guide me through it. So I feel very fortunate, which is why I think it’s so important for me to give back.”

    Gomez also champions the benefits of therapy to her friends, many of whom have tried it.

    She said: “When my friends have tried therapy, they’ll go for two or three sessions. But that’s not going to be even the beginning of understanding and trusting someone. It’s also terrifying, so I have compassion for that. I would say it is scary, but if you take time and you’re able to see a therapist, that’s incredible.”

    Selena started seeing a therapist after an episode of psychosis in 2018. She is now a major advocate for mental health awareness, particularly in young people.

    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 700,000 people tragically take their own lives after struggling with their mental health every year.

    Addressing the matter, the singer said, “If people don’t understand how important this is to this generation, and don’t know the statistics, I would encourage them to look into that. Because I feel like this is something we can truly change.”

    “And by affecting people and really giving them tools and skills … I mean, it sounds so stupid, but we could change the world. If anything, I just want to make people feel great, and feel seen and heard and loved.” Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

    LOS ANGELES: Singer-actress Selena Gomez hopes to “give back” to the world after starting her therapy journey.

    The 31-year-old superstar had been battling her mental health for years and fell into a dark place. Since starting therapy, however, she has begun to heal.

    Gomez opened up about her battle with depression when speaking with The Kit.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “I think what has truly helped me is learning about it. I started learning about Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. And I started to really understand, or at least try to understand, why I was feeling these emotions,” she said, reports aceshowbiz.com.

    “Then later on, finding out I have a diagnosis of bipolar wasn’t scary to me. It felt like I understood what was happening and then I could try to find the right people to help me and guide me through it. So I feel very fortunate, which is why I think it’s so important for me to give back.”

    Gomez also champions the benefits of therapy to her friends, many of whom have tried it.

    She said: “When my friends have tried therapy, they’ll go for two or three sessions. But that’s not going to be even the beginning of understanding and trusting someone. It’s also terrifying, so I have compassion for that. I would say it is scary, but if you take time and you’re able to see a therapist, that’s incredible.”

    Selena started seeing a therapist after an episode of psychosis in 2018. She is now a major advocate for mental health awareness, particularly in young people.

    According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 700,000 people tragically take their own lives after struggling with their mental health every year.

    Addressing the matter, the singer said, “If people don’t understand how important this is to this generation, and don’t know the statistics, I would encourage them to look into that. Because I feel like this is something we can truly change.”

    “And by affecting people and really giving them tools and skills … I mean, it sounds so stupid, but we could change the world. If anything, I just want to make people feel great, and feel seen and heard and loved.” Follow The New Indian Express channel on WhatsApp

  • I was almost on the verge of depression after ‘War’: Hrithik Roshan

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Superstar Hrithik Roshan has revealed that he was close to falling into “depression” after working hard on his physique for his 2019 action-thriller “War”.

    The 48-year-old actor, known for his fit physique, said during the making of the Siddharth Aanand-directed film he thought he went into “adrenaline fatigue”.

    “I feel as light and as fast as our last transformation. I thought I was dying when I was doing ‘War’. I wasn’t prepared for the film and I was up against a really big challenge. I was trying to achieve perfection for which I wasn’t ready. After the film, I went into adrenaline fatigue,” Roshan said in a podcast interview with fitness trainer Kris Gethin.

    The actor also shared that he couldn’t train for three-four months after completing the movie.

    “I wasn’t feeling good. I was almost on the verge of depression. So I was completely lost and that’s when I knew that I need to make a change in my life,” he added.

    During the interaction, Gethin recalled training Hrithik in 2013, and said that the actor “didn’t take a day off in seven months”.

    “War”, also featuring Tiger Shroff and Vaani Kapoor, released in October 2019.

    MUMBAI: Superstar Hrithik Roshan has revealed that he was close to falling into “depression” after working hard on his physique for his 2019 action-thriller “War”.

    The 48-year-old actor, known for his fit physique, said during the making of the Siddharth Aanand-directed film he thought he went into “adrenaline fatigue”.

    “I feel as light and as fast as our last transformation. I thought I was dying when I was doing ‘War’. I wasn’t prepared for the film and I was up against a really big challenge. I was trying to achieve perfection for which I wasn’t ready. After the film, I went into adrenaline fatigue,” Roshan said in a podcast interview with fitness trainer Kris Gethin.

    The actor also shared that he couldn’t train for three-four months after completing the movie.

    “I wasn’t feeling good. I was almost on the verge of depression. So I was completely lost and that’s when I knew that I need to make a change in my life,” he added.

    During the interaction, Gethin recalled training Hrithik in 2013, and said that the actor “didn’t take a day off in seven months”.

    “War”, also featuring Tiger Shroff and Vaani Kapoor, released in October 2019.

  • ‘Wants to educate young people to prioritise their mental health’, says Selena Gomez

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Singer-actress Selena Gomez has always been open about her battle with anxiety and depression over the past six years.She is now hoping her candid new documentary will help other people speak out, reports ‘The Mirror’.Explaining why she decided to lay bare her struggles and tumultuous relationship with fame in ‘Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me’, the singer says she wanted to educate young people about the importance of prioritising their mental health.Selena, 30, says: “I think someone actually asked me if I felt like I did too much. And I’m not going to lie, maybe there were a few moments that were scary to offer up. But at the same time, if you take anything away from this, I hope people understand my purpose here is supposed to be a connection.”I used myself as a sacrifice in order for people to have the hard conversations. But I’m also going to crawl into a hole now for a few months, so nobody sees me for a while. I did too much,” she further says, quoted by ‘The Mirror’.According to ‘The Mirror’, Selena started her journey to fame aged seven and her TV career took off when she appeared in the children’s series ‘Barney & Friends’ aged 10.In 2007, when she was 15, she was given a starring role on the Disney Channel series ‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’, and the following year she signed a deal with Hollywood Records.In late 2010, she began dating pop star Justin Bieber, who was 16 at the time. Their on/off romance continued for eight years. In 2013, her profile rocketed with the release of her debut solo album, ‘Stars Dance’.

    But in 2016, fame began to take its toll on Selena’s health. After 55 shows on her Revival tour, the star – who was diagnosed with auto-immune disease lupus in 2014 — cancelled the remainder of the gigs to focus on her mental health. In a statement released at the time, she said she was suffering from panic attacks and depression.In the summer of 2017, complications from lupus led to her getting a kidney transplant from her good friend, actress Francia Raisa.

    ALSO READ | Selena Gomez honoured for Mental Health Advocacy by Ruderman Family foundation’The Mirror’ further states that the following year, in May 2018, Selena split from Justin for good, with rumours suggesting the relationship had been “unhealthy” for a while.Five months later, the singer was admitted to a psychiatric hospital — and she later revealed she had an episode of psychosis during this time.In 2020, Selena revealed she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

    LOS ANGELES: Singer-actress Selena Gomez has always been open about her battle with anxiety and depression over the past six years.
    She is now hoping her candid new documentary will help other people speak out, reports ‘The Mirror’.
    Explaining why she decided to lay bare her struggles and tumultuous relationship with fame in ‘Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me’, the singer says she wanted to educate young people about the importance of prioritising their mental health.
    Selena, 30, says: “I think someone actually asked me if I felt like I did too much. And I’m not going to lie, maybe there were a few moments that were scary to offer up. But at the same time, if you take anything away from this, I hope people understand my purpose here is supposed to be a connection.
    “I used myself as a sacrifice in order for people to have the hard conversations. But I’m also going to crawl into a hole now for a few months, so nobody sees me for a while. I did too much,” she further says, quoted by ‘The Mirror’.
    According to ‘The Mirror’, Selena started her journey to fame aged seven and her TV career took off when she appeared in the children’s series ‘Barney & Friends’ aged 10.
    In 2007, when she was 15, she was given a starring role on the Disney Channel series ‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’, and the following year she signed a deal with Hollywood Records.
    In late 2010, she began dating pop star Justin Bieber, who was 16 at the time. Their on/off romance continued for eight years. In 2013, her profile rocketed with the release of her debut solo album, ‘Stars Dance’.

    But in 2016, fame began to take its toll on Selena’s health. After 55 shows on her Revival tour, the star – who was diagnosed with auto-immune disease lupus in 2014 — cancelled the remainder of the gigs to focus on her mental health. In a statement released at the time, she said she was suffering from panic attacks and depression.
    In the summer of 2017, complications from lupus led to her getting a kidney transplant from her good friend, actress Francia Raisa.

    ALSO READ | Selena Gomez honoured for Mental Health Advocacy by Ruderman Family foundation
    ‘The Mirror’ further states that the following year, in May 2018, Selena split from Justin for good, with rumours suggesting the relationship had been “unhealthy” for a while.
    Five months later, the singer was admitted to a psychiatric hospital — and she later revealed she had an episode of psychosis during this time.
    In 2020, Selena revealed she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

  • ‘Want to educate young people to prioritise their mental health’, says Selena Gomez

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Singer-actress Selena Gomez has always been open about her battle with anxiety and depression over the past six years.She is now hoping her candid new documentary will help other people speak out, reports ‘The Mirror’.Explaining why she decided to lay bare her struggles and tumultuous relationship with fame in ‘Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me’, the singer says she wanted to educate young people about the importance of prioritising their mental health.Selena, 30, says: “I think someone actually asked me if I felt like I did too much. And I’m not going to lie, maybe there were a few moments that were scary to offer up. But at the same time, if you take anything away from this, I hope people understand my purpose here is supposed to be a connection.”I used myself as a sacrifice in order for people to have the hard conversations. But I’m also going to crawl into a hole now for a few months, so nobody sees me for a while. I did too much,” she further says, quoted by ‘The Mirror’.According to ‘The Mirror’, Selena started her journey to fame aged seven and her TV career took off when she appeared in the children’s series ‘Barney & Friends’ aged 10.In 2007, when she was 15, she was given a starring role on the Disney Channel series ‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’, and the following year she signed a deal with Hollywood Records.In late 2010, she began dating pop star Justin Bieber, who was 16 at the time. Their on/off romance continued for eight years. In 2013, her profile rocketed with the release of her debut solo album, ‘Stars Dance’.

    But in 2016, fame began to take its toll on Selena’s health. After 55 shows on her Revival tour, the star – who was diagnosed with auto-immune disease lupus in 2014 — cancelled the remainder of the gigs to focus on her mental health. In a statement released at the time, she said she was suffering from panic attacks and depression.In the summer of 2017, complications from lupus led to her getting a kidney transplant from her good friend, actress Francia Raisa.

    ALSO READ | Selena Gomez honoured for Mental Health Advocacy by Ruderman Family foundation’The Mirror’ further states that the following year, in May 2018, Selena split from Justin for good, with rumours suggesting the relationship had been “unhealthy” for a while.Five months later, the singer was admitted to a psychiatric hospital — and she later revealed she had an episode of psychosis during this time.In 2020, Selena revealed she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

    LOS ANGELES: Singer-actress Selena Gomez has always been open about her battle with anxiety and depression over the past six years.
    She is now hoping her candid new documentary will help other people speak out, reports ‘The Mirror’.
    Explaining why she decided to lay bare her struggles and tumultuous relationship with fame in ‘Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me’, the singer says she wanted to educate young people about the importance of prioritising their mental health.
    Selena, 30, says: “I think someone actually asked me if I felt like I did too much. And I’m not going to lie, maybe there were a few moments that were scary to offer up. But at the same time, if you take anything away from this, I hope people understand my purpose here is supposed to be a connection.
    “I used myself as a sacrifice in order for people to have the hard conversations. But I’m also going to crawl into a hole now for a few months, so nobody sees me for a while. I did too much,” she further says, quoted by ‘The Mirror’.
    According to ‘The Mirror’, Selena started her journey to fame aged seven and her TV career took off when she appeared in the children’s series ‘Barney & Friends’ aged 10.
    In 2007, when she was 15, she was given a starring role on the Disney Channel series ‘Wizards Of Waverly Place’, and the following year she signed a deal with Hollywood Records.
    In late 2010, she began dating pop star Justin Bieber, who was 16 at the time. Their on/off romance continued for eight years. In 2013, her profile rocketed with the release of her debut solo album, ‘Stars Dance’.

    But in 2016, fame began to take its toll on Selena’s health. After 55 shows on her Revival tour, the star – who was diagnosed with auto-immune disease lupus in 2014 — cancelled the remainder of the gigs to focus on her mental health. In a statement released at the time, she said she was suffering from panic attacks and depression.
    In the summer of 2017, complications from lupus led to her getting a kidney transplant from her good friend, actress Francia Raisa.

    ALSO READ | Selena Gomez honoured for Mental Health Advocacy by Ruderman Family foundation
    ‘The Mirror’ further states that the following year, in May 2018, Selena split from Justin for good, with rumours suggesting the relationship had been “unhealthy” for a while.
    Five months later, the singer was admitted to a psychiatric hospital — and she later revealed she had an episode of psychosis during this time.
    In 2020, Selena revealed she had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

  • Pandemic stress drove women, especially with kids, to alcohol

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Women, especially with young kids, affluent families and those suffering from anxiety and depression, reported an increase in alcohol consumption during Covid-19, and the main reason was stress, according to the latest survey carried out by an NGO, which works to protect communities and individuals from drunk driving and underage drinking. 

    The survey conducted among 5,000 women in the age group between 18 years 68 years in Delhi found that, as compared to men, fewer women drink regularly. Still, almost seven per cent admitted to risky or harmful drinking. 

    Over 62 per cent of women agreed to spend more on alcohol during the Covid-19 lockdown, post lockdown and when restrictions started easing up in the country, said the survey conducted by Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD).

    The pandemic pushed many women into a complex mental and emotional state starting from loneliness, and caregiver load, with women almost three times more likely than men to be looking after children full-time, managing household chores and professional responsibilities on their own during Covid-19, it added.

    “Loss of jobs, incidents of physical and mental abuse also increased during the pandemic, which added to the mental health burden for women during Covid-19,” said the survey, which was conducted around malls, markets, bars and pubs from August to October this year to assess if drinking patterns have altered in the last three years, especially in light of the pandemic and the stresses it put on individuals and households. Better retail shops, buy one get one (BOGO) offers, and discounts made alcohol buying more attractive for women, the survey said. According to road safety expert and activist Prince Singhal, founder of CADD, “Recent trends have shown increased alcohol use among women. While many believed the figures would go down, alcohol consumption increased.”

    “Having more drinks also indicated that alcohol was being had either to deal with emotional or mental issues, under the social influence or sometimes because they have developed a higher resistance to alcohol,” he said. “It is a known phenomenon that alcohol is consumed excessively during stress. Stressful events correlate with higher levels of alcohol consumption at the population level.

    The situations in Indian homes during Covid-19 significantly affected collective mental health. For many people, social disconnection, financial strain, increased obligations in the home, and ongoing uncertainty created distress and with it, a need for new ways of coping,” Singhal added.

    NEW DELHI: Women, especially with young kids, affluent families and those suffering from anxiety and depression, reported an increase in alcohol consumption during Covid-19, and the main reason was stress, according to the latest survey carried out by an NGO, which works to protect communities and individuals from drunk driving and underage drinking. 

    The survey conducted among 5,000 women in the age group between 18 years 68 years in Delhi found that, as compared to men, fewer women drink regularly. Still, almost seven per cent admitted to risky or harmful drinking. 

    Over 62 per cent of women agreed to spend more on alcohol during the Covid-19 lockdown, post lockdown and when restrictions started easing up in the country, said the survey conducted by Community Against Drunken Driving (CADD).

    The pandemic pushed many women into a complex mental and emotional state starting from loneliness, and caregiver load, with women almost three times more likely than men to be looking after children full-time, managing household chores and professional responsibilities on their own during Covid-19, it added.

    “Loss of jobs, incidents of physical and mental abuse also increased during the pandemic, which added to the mental health burden for women during Covid-19,” said the survey, which was conducted around malls, markets, bars and pubs from August to October this year to assess if drinking patterns have altered in the last three years, especially in light of the pandemic and the stresses it put on individuals and households. Better retail shops, buy one get one (BOGO) offers, and discounts made alcohol buying more attractive for women, the survey said. According to road safety expert and activist Prince Singhal, founder of CADD, “Recent trends have shown increased alcohol use among women. While many believed the figures would go down, alcohol consumption increased.”

    “Having more drinks also indicated that alcohol was being had either to deal with emotional or mental issues, under the social influence or sometimes because they have developed a higher resistance to alcohol,” he said. “It is a known phenomenon that alcohol is consumed excessively during stress. Stressful events correlate with higher levels of alcohol consumption at the population level.

    The situations in Indian homes during Covid-19 significantly affected collective mental health. For many people, social disconnection, financial strain, increased obligations in the home, and ongoing uncertainty created distress and with it, a need for new ways of coping,” Singhal added.

  • Heavy rain likely to pound West Bengal as cyclone ‘Sitrang’ threat looms large dampening festivities

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Heavy rain and wind gusts up to 100 kmph are likely to hit the coastal areas of West Bengal as a deep depression over Bay of Bengal intensifies into a possible cyclone by Sunday evening, dampening Kali Puja and Diwali festivities in large parts of the state.

    The IMD said the weather system, which lay 700 km south of Sagar Island on Sunday morning and is moving in a northwestward direction, is very likely to recurve in a northeastward direction and cross the Bangladesh coast between Tinkona Island and Sandwip around early morning on Monday.

    It is very likely to bring heavy to very heavy rain in coastal districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas, and heavy rainfall in East and West Midnapore on Monday, while Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly are likely to receive moderate rain on Monday and Tuesday, the Met Department said in a bulletin.

    Heavy rain will occur in North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Nadia on Tuesday, it said.

    The development comes as people gear up to celebrate Kali Puja and Diwali in a big way after two years, amid easing Covid cases and curbs. The cyclone is expected to be named ‘Sitrang’, as suggested by Thailand.

    The system is likely to bring in its wake winds reaching speeds of 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph in coastal North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas on Tuesday, while speeds of 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph could be experienced on Monday in these districts along with East Midnapore, the bulletin said.

    Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly and West Midnapore are likely to be affected by winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph on Tuesday, and 30-40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph on Monday.

    A Kolkata Municipal Corporation official said it has initiated steps to tackle any situation that may emerge owing to the impending cyclone in the metropolis, including keeping all pumping stations active and making arrangements for shifting residents from dilapidated buildings to local schools or community halls.

    The weather office also said wind speed over sea areas will reach 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph in north Bay of Bengal, asking fishermen not to venture into the sea.

    It advised suspension of ferry services in Sunderbans and waterbound tourist activities at seaside resort towns of Digha, Mandarmoni, Shankarpur, Bakkhali and Sagar on Monday and Tuesday.

    Meanwhile, the Odisha government said it has prepared for possible heavy rain on Monday and Tuesday, when the cyclone passes parallel to the state’s coast.

    The IMD has issued a ‘yellow’ warning for heavy rainfall (7-11cm) at one or two places over the districts of Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur and Puri till Monday morning.

    It also warned of heavy rainfall at one or two places over Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, and Cuttack from Monday morning to Tuesday morning.

    KOLKATA: Heavy rain and wind gusts up to 100 kmph are likely to hit the coastal areas of West Bengal as a deep depression over Bay of Bengal intensifies into a possible cyclone by Sunday evening, dampening Kali Puja and Diwali festivities in large parts of the state.

    The IMD said the weather system, which lay 700 km south of Sagar Island on Sunday morning and is moving in a northwestward direction, is very likely to recurve in a northeastward direction and cross the Bangladesh coast between Tinkona Island and Sandwip around early morning on Monday.

    It is very likely to bring heavy to very heavy rain in coastal districts of South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas, and heavy rainfall in East and West Midnapore on Monday, while Kolkata, Howrah and Hooghly are likely to receive moderate rain on Monday and Tuesday, the Met Department said in a bulletin.

    Heavy rain will occur in North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and Nadia on Tuesday, it said.

    The development comes as people gear up to celebrate Kali Puja and Diwali in a big way after two years, amid easing Covid cases and curbs. The cyclone is expected to be named ‘Sitrang’, as suggested by Thailand.

    The system is likely to bring in its wake winds reaching speeds of 80-90 kmph gusting to 100 kmph in coastal North 24 Parganas and South 24 Parganas on Tuesday, while speeds of 45-55 kmph gusting to 65 kmph could be experienced on Monday in these districts along with East Midnapore, the bulletin said.

    Kolkata, Howrah, Hooghly and West Midnapore are likely to be affected by winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph on Tuesday, and 30-40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph on Monday.

    A Kolkata Municipal Corporation official said it has initiated steps to tackle any situation that may emerge owing to the impending cyclone in the metropolis, including keeping all pumping stations active and making arrangements for shifting residents from dilapidated buildings to local schools or community halls.

    The weather office also said wind speed over sea areas will reach 90-100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph in north Bay of Bengal, asking fishermen not to venture into the sea.

    It advised suspension of ferry services in Sunderbans and waterbound tourist activities at seaside resort towns of Digha, Mandarmoni, Shankarpur, Bakkhali and Sagar on Monday and Tuesday.

    Meanwhile, the Odisha government said it has prepared for possible heavy rain on Monday and Tuesday, when the cyclone passes parallel to the state’s coast.

    The IMD has issued a ‘yellow’ warning for heavy rainfall (7-11cm) at one or two places over the districts of Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur and Puri till Monday morning.

    It also warned of heavy rainfall at one or two places over Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapada, Jagatsinghpur, and Cuttack from Monday morning to Tuesday morning.

  • 25 per cent rise in mental disorders in 1st Covid year, says WHO

    Express News Service

    BENGALURU:  Depression and anxiety went up by more than 25 per cent globally in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic, says WHO in the latest mental health report released on Friday. In its largest review of global mental health since the turn of the century, the World Health Organization termed the Covid-19 pandemic as “one of the biggest global crises in generations that has had severe and far-reaching repercussions for health systems, economies and societies”.

    “Depression and anxiety went up by more than 25 per cent in the first year of the pandemic alone. Young people, women and people already suffering mental health issues were harder hit by the pandemic and the restrictions that followed,” the report says.

    The world health body has called upon all nations to destigmatise and invest more in mental health, stating that the pandemic had caused a “sharp rise in issues across the world”. The findings are an eye-opener for all stakeholders with the world body emphasising that there is no health without mental health. 

    “Nearly a billion people or one in 8 people worldwide, were living with mental health problems in 2019. Those living in conflict zones were affected even more, with one in five suffering from mental health issues. These included 14 per cent of the world’s adolescents.  Suicide accounted for more than 1 in 100 deaths and 58 per cent of suicides occurred before age 50,” the report says. 

    It further says childhood sexual abuse and bullying victimisation are major causes of depression. “Social and economic inequalities, public health emergencies, war, and the climate crisis are among the global, structural threats to mental health.”

    While the awareness on mental health has increased, government spending has not. “Only 2 per cent of national health budgets and less than 1 per cent of all international health aid goes to mental health,” the report says.

    Mark van Ommeren of the WHO’s mental health unit says interest in mental health right now is at an all-time high. “But the investment in mental health has not gone up. This report gives countries information on how to invest their mental health money better.” The report has given country-specific case studies on conventional/non-conventional and community interventions in mental health issues.

    Emphasising that ‘no health without mental health’The world health body has called on all nations to destigmatise and invest more in mental health.  The findings are an eye-opener for all stakeholders with the world body emphasising that there is no health without mental health

  • Ashley Judd talks about mental health after mother’s death

    By Associated Press

    NASHVILLE:  Ashley Judd encouraged people to seek help for their mental health and talked about her grieving process after the loss of her mother, country star Naomi Judd.

    In an interview aired on “Good Morning America” on Thursday, the movie star said she wanted to address her mother’s struggle with depression. Judd said she was with her mother at her home in Tennessee on the day Naomi died on April 30.

    Judd also encouraged anyone who was having thoughts of harming themselves to reach out to The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

    Naomi Judd died at the age of 76, a day before she was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame with her duo partner and daughter Wynonna Judd. In a statement provided to The Associated Press, the family said they had lost her to “the disease of mental illness.”

    “When we’re talking about mental illness, it’s very important, and to be clear and to make the distinction between our loved one and the disease,” Judd said in the interview. “It lies. It’s savage. And, you know, my mother, our mother, couldn’t hang on until she was inducted into the Hall of Fame by her peers. I mean, that is the level of the catastrophe of what was going on inside of her because the barrier between — the regard in which they held her couldn’t penetrate into her heart. And the lie that the disease told her was so convincing.”

    Ashley Judd said that her mother shot herself with a gun, but asked for privacy on other details of the death. Naomi Judd wrote openly about her depression and anxiety in her memoir “River of Time” and her daughter Ashley said it was because of this that she cherished every moment she spent with her mother.

    “I really accepted the love my mother was capable of giving me because I knew she was fragile,” Judd said. “So when I walked around the back of their house and came in the kitchen door and she said, ‘There’s my darling, there’s my baby.’ And she lit up. I savored those moments.”

    Naomi and Wynonna Judd scored 14 No. 1 songs in a career that spanned nearly three decades. The red-headed duo combined the traditional Appalachian sounds of bluegrass with polished pop stylings, scoring hit after hit in the 1980s. Wynonna led the duo with her powerful vocals, while Naomi provided harmonies and stylish looks on stage.

    TheJuddsreleased six studio albums and an EP between 1984 and 1991 and won nine Country Music Association Awards and seven from the Academy of Country Music. They earned a total of five Grammy Awards together on hits like “Why Not Me” and “Give A Little Love,” and Naomi earned a sixth Grammy for writing “Love Can Build a Bridge.”

  • When Bella Hadid cried every day for three years!

    By IANS

    Supermodel Bella Hadid has battled depression and anxiety since her teens and she said that she spent a lot of time working putting on a brave face in front of people and breaking down when she was alone.She said: “For three years while I was working, I would wake up every morning hysterical, in tears, alone. I wouldn’t show anybody that. I would go to work, cry at lunch in my little greenroom, finish my day, go to whatever random little hotel I was in for the night, cry again, wake up in the morning, and do the same thing.”In January 2021, Bella had what she termed a burnout and no longer felt like herself, reports femalefirst.co.uk.She told America’s Vogue magazine: “My immediate trauma response is people-pleasing. It literally makes me sick to my stomach if I leave somewhere and someone is unhappy with me, so I always go above and beyond, but the issue with that is that I get home and I don’t have enough for myself. I became manic. I bleached my hair. I looked like a troll doll. Then I dyed it-it looked like a sunrise. That should have been the first sign.”Eventually, Bella checked into a treatment programme in Tennessee for two and a half weeks and admitted medication and therapy have subsequently changed her life.She said: “For so long, I didn’t know what I was crying about. I always felt so lucky, and that would get me even more down on myself. There were people online saying, You live this amazing life. So then how can I complain? I always felt that I didn’t have the right to complain, which meant that I didn’t have the right to get help, which was my first problem.”The brunette beauty began feeling better but felt low again last September and for the first time in her career, backed out of her working commitments for Fashion Weeks.Bella deleted her social media accounts and spent a month hanging out with her family in Pennsylvania, which she found “really helpful”. She said: “When you are forced to be perfect every day, in every picture, you start to look at yourself and need to see perfection at all times, and it’s just not possible. That month off was really helpful for me.””To have to wake up every morning with this brain-it’s not cute. So now everything that I do in my personal life is literally to make sure that my mental state stays above water. Fashion can make you or break you. And if it makes you, you have to make a conscious effort every day for it not to break you. There’s always a bit of grief in love.”Bella has suffered from Lyme disease since she was a teenager, and was also prescribed Adderall for possible ADHD in high school, but the appetite-suppressant effect of the medication pushed her into anorexia.She said: “I was on this calorie-counting app, which was like the devil to me. I’d pack my little lunch with my three raspberries, my celery stick. I was just trying, I realise now, to feel in control of myself when I felt so out of control of everything else.”Although Bella has a healthy relationship with food these days, the feelings have stayed with her. She admitted: “I can barely look in the mirror to this day because of that period in my life.”

  • Depression can be classified as serious illness in context of COVID-19 pandemic: Gujarat HC

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Depression can be classified as a serious illness, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gujarat High Court has observed, while setting aside the cancellation of registration and admission of an engineering student by a government college for not appearing for requisite exams due to depression and suicidal thoughts.

    The court issued the order on August 31 and a copy of it was made available on Thursday.

    The academic performance review committee of the Surat-based Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology (SVNIT) in October 2020 cancelled the registration and admission of the first-year B Tech (Bachelor of Technology) student, for not earning 25 credits needed for getting promoted to the next semester.

    The student challenged this in the HC on the ground that he had suffered from “severe depressive episodes with suicidal ideation”, which started in January 2020 and peaked in May-June last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic situation, which is why he could not appear for the examination.

    “In the facts and circumstances of the case and more particularly in the context of the currency of the pandemic period, the depressive state of mind and the depression created in the petitioner student, can be classified as serious illness,” the court of Justice N V Anjaria observed.

    The depressive cycle which the petitioner suffered was during the period of COVID-19 pandemic itself.

    It was a period of wide-spread despondency, the court noted.

    It is reasonable to believe that the situation brought about by the pandemic created an adverse effect on the tender-mind of the petitioner, who disengaged himself from the studies, it further said.

    “The ground advanced by the petitioner could be viewed as genuine as there is nothing to disbelieve the same. The stand of the respondent Institute to doubt is insensitive and departs from the facts stated in the letter of the parents fortified by the certificate of doctor. The reason given by the petitioner has to be appreciated in the special circumstance of the pandemic period,” the HC observed in its order.

    The court, in its interim order on April 23, 2021, allowed the petitioner to appear for the supplementary examination in May 2021, which he passed to secure the requisite credits to be promoted to the next semester.

    “The reason given by the petitioner has to be appreciated in the special circumstance of the pandemic period.

    It is the very reason of depressive tendencies developed in the mind of the petitioner during the pandemic which prevented him from applying on medical ground under the said Regulation (of the institute that requires a student to apply prior to the last day of examination if unable to take the exam on medical ground),” it said.

    Apart from cancelling the registration and admission of the petitioner, the institute had also rejected his subsequent requests to reconsider its decision, which he had challenged in the high court through his lawyer Ronith Joy.

    The institute had argued before the court that the case of the petitioner on medical grounds is governed by its regulation that necessitates that a student file an application prior to the last day of examination.

    The student had failed to make any such application, it argued, and further stated that the petitioner had not reported any medical illness even while he stayed in a hostel between January and March 2020.

    As per the petitioner’s parents, he could not convey his feeling of depression to them due to his introvert nature, and they learnt about it as late as September 2020, when the institute refused to accept the fee for his third semester on account of his termination.

    The student’s parents then made several requests to the institute to reconsider its decision and give another chance to their son, but to no avail.

    In their last communication dated December 25, 2020 with the institute, the parents annexed a doctor’s certificate that stated the patient was “diagnosed with severe depressive episodes with suicidal ideation currently in partial remission”.

    “His problem started in January 2020, reached its peak in May-June (2020) and now decreased in severity and for that he is put on appropriate treatment,” the doctor’s certificate said.