Massive rise in mental health awareness in India

New Delhi: While mental health has often remained a widely ignored topic and a taboo in the Indian society, a new report shows over 80 per cent rise in the number of people seeking help for mental health issues, especially in tier-2 cities. According to domestic digital healthcare platform Practo’s annual healthcare map, there has been 82 per cent increase in the appointments with psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists in tier-2 cities — Indore, Kanpur, Nagpur, Jaipur, Vishakapatnam, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Coimbatore, Ahmedabad and Patna.

People in these cities sought help mostly for depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), marriage counselling, stress, de-addiction and anger management among others. “It is a common belief that mental issues are mainly arising in metro cities owing to the stressful lifestyles. However, the non-metro cities are also in immediate need for access to mental healthcare,” Aparna Mahesh, psychotherapist at Practo told. “The sharp increase in the number of physical appointments with psychologists, psychiatrists and psychotherapists in these towns and cities clearly indicates that Indians beyond metros are seeking timely help to address their concerns rather than ignoring or self-medicating,” Mahesh added. (IANS)

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