News Analysis India

Tag: 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.”

  • Kendall Jenner keeps a diary to help her mental health

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Supermodel Kendal Jenner keeps an “old-fashioned diary” which she keeps locked to put all her thoughts in as it helps to ease her anxiety and panic attacks.

    Kendall says having a safe space for her thoughts and fears and somewhere to “let out your happiness” is important for her mental health, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

    In an interview with the new issue of i-D Magazine, she said: “It’s important to have a space that’s just for you where you can let out your happiness, your anger, frustrations, and stress, the things that are freaking you out, the things that are making you happy and even just ideas.”

    “It’s like an old-fashioned diary.”

    “It has a lock on it and I hide it, I lock it away: mine is so, so secretive. I’m like, ‘No one can ever get this.’”

    Revealing that she believes in manifesting things into being and writing them into existence, the Estee Lauder brand ambassador, whose mother is Kris Jenner, added: “Our minds are extremely powerful.”

    Kendall is also a keen reader and she finds that losing herself in a good book helps stop her panic attacks and keep her calm.

    The supermodel, who is currently reading the romance novel ‘It Ends with Us’ by Colleen Hoover, said: “I was having a panic attack two nights ago, and I was just like, ‘Oh, but you know what? I’m just going to pick up this book and try to forget’.”

    “It’s a great form of therapy and form of distraction. I just love having things that are for me and no one else, you know? I feel like reading is one of those things.”

    Kendall also feels healthy mentally when she feels healthy physically and she makes sure she always finds time to walk her pet dog, her Doberman Pinscher Pyro, to ride her horse and go to Pilates with her close friend Hailey Bieber – who is married to Justin Bieber.

    She said: “I think I feel really good mentally when I feel really good physically.”

  • Bella Hadid quits drinking after seeing her brain scan

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Supermodel Bella Hadid vows to never drink alcohol again. Bella shared in a new interview that she had decided to stop drinking, explaining that it had something to do with how alcohol has affected her health, reports aceshowbiz.com.Speaking with InStyle, Bella shared that her decision to give up on alcohol was made six months ago.The 25-year-old divulged that it became “hard to pick a lot harder to pick up the glass” after her doctor and medical advisor for her non-alcoholic beverage brand Kin Euphorics showed her the effects of alcohol on her brain.”I have done my fair share of drinking,” the daughter of Yolanda Hadid claimed. “I loved alcohol and it got to the point where even I started to, you know, cancel nights out that I felt like I wouldnt be able to control myself.”

    ALSO READ | In the wake of pandemic, Indians more likely to consider alcohol-free datesShe said: “I don’t feel the need (to drink alcohol) because I know how it will affect me at 3 in the morning when I wake up with horrible anxiety thinking about that one thing I said five years ago when I graduated high school.”Bella continued, “There’s just this never-ending effect of, essentially, you know, pain and stress over those few drinks that didn’t really do much, you know?”

  • Fratricides on rise, CRPF plans informal discussion forums for jawans

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Following the shocking incident of fratricide by a CRPF jawan in Chhattisgarh that claimed the lives of four of his colleagues, this newspaper accessed records of fratricides and suicides among CRPF personnel and found that the highest number of such incidents have been committed this year compared to previous years. 

    As far as suicides are concerned, the number by the end of this year may surpass the previous highest total.

    A total of 16 deaths in fratricide have been reported from CRPF in the last four years with six jawans dying in five shootouts this year alone. 

    As of November 8, as many as 48 suicides have been reported in the CRPF.  

    The number of suicides among CRPF personnel stood at 29 in 2016, according to data from the home ministry, which handles the affairs of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs).

    In 2017, 2018 and 2019 and 2020 the number of suicides among the central force was 38, 38, 43 and 60, respectively.

    Officials told this newspaper that the CRPF has decided to give a fresh push to informal, open-style discussions called ‘Chaupals’ for jawans. 

    In an official communication, DG CRPF Kuldiep Singh has asked senior officials to hold four such discussions in a week.

    All officials of the rank of IGs have been instructed to ensure that Chaupals are held in an informal setting so that jawans are encouraged to speak up without fear or pressure, said officials in the know.

  • Mental health of person cannot be compressed into one size fits all approach: SC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The mental health of a person cannot be compressed into a ”one size fits all’ approach, the Supreme Court has said while setting aside an order of the Karnataka High Court which quashed criminal proceedings against a government official in a case of abetment of suicide.

    A bench of justices D Y Chandrachud and B V Nagarathna said the observation of the high court that there is no material to corroborate the allegations made in the suicide note is erroneous.

    “The Single Judge, other than deciding on the merits of the case while exercising the power under Section 482 of the CrPC, has also made observations diminishing the importance of mental health.

    The mental health of a person cannot be compressed into a one size fits all approach,” the bench said.

    The apex court said it is not a consideration for the high court while exercising its power under Section 482 of the CrPC, particularly in view of the fact that the trial has not begun.

    The top court said the Single Judge of the high court has termed a person who decided to commit suicide a ‘weakling’ and has also made observations on how the behavior of the deceased before he committed suicide was not that of a person who is depressed and suffering from mental health issues.

    “Behavioural scientists have initiated the discourse on the heterogeneity of every individual and have challenged the traditional notion of ‘all humans behave alike’. Individual personality differences manifest as a variation in the behavior of people.”

    “Therefore, how an individual copes up with a threat- both physical and emotional, expressing (or refraining to express) love, loss, sorrow and happiness, varies greatly in view of the multi-faceted nature of the human mind and emotions.

    Thus, the observations describing the manner in which a depressed person ought to have behaved deeply diminishes the gravity of mental health issues,” the bench in its recent judgement said.

    The top court’s judgement came on an appeal filed by Karnataka against the high court decision to quash a case of abetment of suicide against a government officer.

    The government officer’s driver died by suicide and left a note in which referred to the illegal activities of the accused in amassing wealth in excess of Rs.

    100 crores, converting black money into white and transferring funds from the bank account of the deceased through his mobile to the accounts of the relatives of the accused.

    The bench said that the high court by its order has prevented the completion of the investigation in the complaint pending on the file of the IInd Additional Civil Judge (Junior Division) and JMFC Court, Maddur, Mandya District.

    “The alleged suicide is of a person who was working as a driver of a Special Land Acquisition Officer, who is a public servant and against whom serious and grave allegations of amassing wealth disproportionate to the known sources of income were made by the deceased.

    “The suicide note contains a detailed account of the role of the accused in the events which led to the deceased committing suicide. These are matters of investigation and possibly trial,” the apex court said.

    The top court said the high court stalled the investigation by granting an interim order of stay.

    If the investigation had been allowed to proceed, there would have been a revelation of material facts which would aid in the trial against the accused, the bench said.

  • 10 per cent jump in suicide at India last year, Delhi on top: NCRB data

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  There was a 10% jump in suicides last year as compared to 2019, according to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). A total of 1,53,052 suicides were reported in the country in 2020. The suicide rate went up by 8.7%.

    Delhi with 3,025 suicides earned the dubious distinction of topping among 53 mega cities. It was followed by Chennai which reported 2,430 suicides, Bengaluru (2,196) and Mumbai (1,282).

    These four cities together saw almost 37.4% of the total cases reported from 53 mega cities.

    Chennai showed a slight decline in 2020 as against 2019 while Delhi recorded an increase of 24.8%, Bengaluru 5.5% and Mumbai observed a rise of 4.3%. 

    Family problems and illness become the major factors forcing people to take the extreme step. 

    Ac-wage earners, followed by self-employed persons (male) and housewives contributed the highest numbers among those who ended their lives last year.

    A total 1,085,32 of men ended their lives, maximum being daily-wagers (33,164) followed by self-employed (15,990) and unemployed persons (12,893), the NCRB report stated. 

    (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation – 04424640050 (available 24×7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences’ helpline – 9152987821, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm).

  • Anxiety of socialisation can be cause of concern for students returning to schools: Experts

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Noting that the Covid pandemic has severely affected the mental health of children, healthcare experts have said that anxiety of socialisation can be a cause of concern for students returning to schools as they were physically away from their friends and teachers for a prolonged period.

    On the occasion of World Mental Health Day on Sunday, the healthcare experts said children might face anxiety returning back to schools and advised their parents and teachers to watch out for warning signs such as lack of concentration and sudden anger among children since reopening of the schools.

    Schools are reopening in several states and Union Territories after remaining shut for months due to the pandemic.

    The experts believe that anxiety of socialisation can be a cause of concern for students returning to schools as children were physically away from their friends and teachers for a prolonged period due to the pandemic.

    Gracy Andrew, vice president and country director for India of NGO CorStone, advised parents to acknowledge and allow their children to express their fear.

    “Very often parents will negate the feelings by saying ‘don’t be scared’ or ‘don’t be silly, there is nothing to be scared’ – instead it is important to let children express their fears and acknowledge that it is natural to feel anxious. Next is to really probe about what is making them scared? Is it just being with other children or is it fear of getting Covid. Then provide them with information about safety and the low risk of children getting severly sick even if they get infected. Parents can support children by just being there for them as they go back to school,” she told PTI.

    Andrew said teachers too can let children express their fears that can be done in classrooms through activities depending on the developmental age/ level.

    “Providing them with information about the virus so they have the knowledge and most important is to let attendance not be compulsory – letting children have a choice of going for a few days a week in the beginning and then may be increasing the pace as they settle in,” she said.

    Dr Jyoti Kapoor, senior psychiatrist, Paras Hospital in Gurgaon said parents can play an important role in helping children get back to normal.

    “The pandemic has severely affected the mental health of children like never before. Anxiety of socialisation is one of the most prominent aspects as children were physically away from their friends and teachers for a prolonged period. Parents play an important role in helping children get back to normal. Watch out for warning signs such as lack of concentration, sudden anger, etc,” she said.

    “But most importantly, parents must get completely vaccinated as a first step to address their anxiety. They must also teach children how to maintain mask and hand hygiene. Games and activities like cycling and kabaddi that promote interaction without getting too close to partners are also a good way to address their anxiety,” Kapoor told PTI.

    Dr Anant Bhan, researcher of Global Health, Bioethics and Health Policy, said it is important for the school management and the government to reassure parents about the steps being taken to minimise the risk for infection spread.

    “Children need to be counselled about the risk for caution, there needs to be a focus on ensuring ventilation, and encouraging complete vaccination for all adults who the kids will interact with (teachers, school staff, school transport staff, as well as members of their own families), usage of masks as per age criteria. It’s also crucial to remember that there are advantages to opening schools and to socialising with other kids of their age, and this could be a vital component of the all round growth and development of our next generation,” Bhan said.

  • Mansukh Mandaviya pitches for training teachers on mental health issues among children 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday that teachers should be trained and oriented about mental health issues among children so that they are able to identify such problems early and refer them for treatment or counselling.

    Launching the UNICEF’s global flagship publication, ‘The State of the World’s Children 2021 – On My Mind: Promoting, Protecting and Caring for Children’s Mental Health’, the minister also laid stress on the inclusion of understanding of mental health among children in teacher training curriculum.

    Stating that the biggest educational institute is family, Mandaviya said families should encourage their children to talk freely and have a dialogue with them to be able to address any emerging mental health issues early.

    He said these days there is hardly any conversation between children and elders of the family.

    “It is important that in families all the members sit together and parents must treat their children as friends and ensure a free dialogue takes place so that children are able to talk freely.

    They should also observe closely the changes happening in their behaviour,” he said.

    Second, comes the role of teacher, the minister said underlining they have a critical role as what they say have major impact on children.

    “Orientation and training classes should be organised for teachers and understanding mental health issues among children should be made part of their training curriculum.

    Teachers should be adequately trained to identify subtle and not so subtle symptoms of emerging mental health issues among children and refer them to psychiatrists for treatment or counselling so that their problems can be addressed early,” he said.

    The mental health is intrinsically linked to physical health and wellness, the minister said as he expressed concern about 14 per cent of children in the world facing mental health issues.

    “Fourteen per cent of children in the world are facing mental health issues, it’s a serious problem and if we will not address it on time then it will have an adverse effect on society,” he said.

    The minister said he realised how important it is to talk about mental health during the second wave of COVID-19.

    “When the second wave came, there was a problem of medicine, oxygen, (and) demands were coming from all quarters. All this used to give me mental stress too. At that time, I used to do cycling, yoga every morning, which used to give relief,” he said.

    UNICEF India representative Yasmin Ali Haque said children in India have been through a challenging time living through the risks and restrictions posed by the pandemic.

    “Nothing could have prepared them for the onslaught of the second wave of the pandemic that hit India earlier this year,” she said, adding that children witnessed suffering and uncertainties that no child should have to see.

    Being away from family, friends, classrooms and play caused isolation and anxiety.

    Children have not only been living an emotional tragedy, many are also at a higher risk of neglect and abuse.

    “What we know about the mental health impact of the pandemic on children is just the tip of the iceberg. I am grateful to Minister Mansukh Mandaviya for joining us to spotlight the mental health of children, and for leading the national initiatives to address the issues highlighted in the UNICEF global report,” she said.

    Children in India seem reticent to seek support for mental stress, according to a survey conducted by UNICEF and Gallup in early 2021 among 20,000 children and adults in 21 countries.

    Only 41 per cent of young people between 15-24 years of age in India said that it is good to get support for mental health problems, compared to an average of 83 per cent for 21 countries.

    In fact, India was the only one of the 21 countries where only a minority of young people felt that people experiencing mental health issues should reach out to others.

    In every other country, a majority of young people — ranging from 56 to 95 per cent — felt that reaching out was the best way to deal with mental health issues.

    The survey findings, which are previewed in the UNICEF publication, also found that around 14 per cent of those between 15-24 years of age in India, or one in seven, reported often feeling depressed or having little interest in doing things.

    The proportion ranged from almost one in three in Cameroon, one in seven in India and Bangladesh, to as low as one in ten in Ethiopia and Japan.

    Across 21 countries, the median was one in five young people.

  • Camila Cabello will never sacrifice mental health for career

    By IANS

    LOS ANGELES: Singer Camila Cabello, who started her pop career as a member of girl group Fifth Harmony which was put together on the American version of Simon Cowell’s pop star search show ‘The X Factor’ in 2012, has learned to prioritise her mental health and put herself first.

    Speaking about her work, Cabello said: “If it’s affecting my mental health in a negative way, I’ll say no and do it another way.”

    Cabello, who made her acting debut as the titular character in Kay Cannon’s new interpretation of the ‘Cinderella’ fairy tale, has also spoken out about the love she receives from her fans, saying that she feels so supported by them on social media whenever she is body shamed or criticised, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

    In an interview with the new issue of HUNGER magazine, she said: “Next time there are pictures of me where my belly is out, there’s gonna be a community of women who have heard me talk about the way that makes me feel and who support me. And that is honestly so liberating.”

    The ‘Havana’ hitmaker is gearing up to release her third solo LP ‘Familia’ later this year and said that singer Billie Eilish’s latest album ‘Happier Than Ever’ has been a major inspiration to her.

    She said: “I saw this quote from Billie where she said, aI wasn’t scared, it wasn’t forced, there was no pressure, it was just really nice.’ And I feel the same way about this album’s process for me.”

  • Gurugram man booked for raising pro-Pakistan slogans, wife says he is under depression

    By ANI

    GURUGRAM: Haryana Police on Tuesday filed an FIR against a man for allegedly raising pro-Pakistan slogans from his apartment’s balcony in Gurugram.

    According to police, the FIR was filed against one Anwar Syed Faizullah Hashmi on the complaint of his neighbours.

    “Case for raising ‘Pakistan Zindabad’ slogan in the society has been registered under Section 153 B of Indian Penal Code (IPC) in Rajendra Park police station against Anwar Syed Faizullah Hashmi. The accused is absconding and search for him is underway,” said Haryana police in a statement.

    On Saturday, a video went viral on social media, purportedly of a residential society in Gurugram, in which the accused was asking a child to raise pro-Pakistan slogans.

    Dhiraj Setia, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Gurugram told ANI that police received the complaint from the resident of “Imperial Gardens Society” in Gurugram on Sunday, with a video of clipping of the man raising “Pakistan Zindabad” slogans on the balcony of his house.

    Meanwhile, the man’s wife, in a complaint against the neighbours, has told police that her husband is undergoing treatment for depression.

    “Wife of the accused has also given a complaint of harassment against the residents of the society at Dhankot police post, in which it has been said that the people of the society came to her house and started threatening her unnecessarily. She has also filed another complaint against her husband for domestic violence. She said the accused is in depression and is undergoing treatment,” said the DCP.

    “We are also investigating this matter whether Anwar is really a victim of depression or not, his medical history is also being checked,” he added.