Mental Healthcare As A Human Right: Access, Barrier And Realities In India
- IJLLR Journal
- 10 hours ago
- 1 min read
Anoupama P, Government Law College, Coimbatore
ABSTRACT
Mental health essentially refers to all aspects of an individual’s everyday life which impact his life, relationships, academics, work and which is in turn impacted by the same factors. In the 21st century, India stands at the cusp of growing mental health challenges especially among the younger generation ranging 10 to 40 years old. With growing rates of suicides and mental illnesses, India has limited rates of available professionals and accessibility to mental healthcare. Despite various recommendations and report of committees as old as in the year of 1946, very little has been implemented according to these reports. India has taken 77 years post-independence to recognise mental health as a fundamental right let alone a human right. Thus, analyses of secondary resources and statistical data of NIMHANs and MOHFW have showed severe lack of institutional, societal and economic facilities in access to mental healthcare and the same has been analysed in this article. Further, the article provides the existing mental health crisis and the consequences of it being left unattended thereby highlighting the need to recognise it as a human right in the 21st century. The article also proposes ideas and opinions to increase and improve access and right to mental healthcare among untreated and suffering individuals and emphasizes on overcoming social and self-stigma.
Keywords: mental healthcare, rights, access, psychiatrists, suicide, disorders
