Q. Are women more vulnerable to mental health issues?
A lot of it is explained in the socio-cultural context—the disadvantages women suffer, the lack of opportunities, the expectation of handling several things at the same time. Common mental disorders like depression and anxiety are more likely because of these vulnerabilities and exposure to stress. Severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia, bipolar mood disorder and so on are more gender equitable. If you look at access to treatment, women are again more disadvantaged. And when you look at the biological construct, the physiological construct, women tend to internalise more—they are more likely to keep things to themselves.
People talk about genetics, familial risk, the environment where they might be. We spoke about domestic violence. Then, during childbirth or menstrual cycles, women may have hormonal differences, which make them more vulnerable. And, of course, the support systems. When it is a man with a problem, several family members come with the person. But when a woman comes for treatment, there’s very little social support.
Q. What are the things workspaces are not accounting for when trying to achieve gender parity?
I was working with the International Labour Organization on workplace prevention of men, mental health problems and substance use. It says whenever a worker goes to work, they don’t leave their problems behind. It’s very difficult to disengage and completely concentrate on your work. Similarly, when there is a lot of stress at work, there is a tendency to take that home. And nowadays, the digital space has made the work-home boundaries so diffuse that you’re practically on the job 24×7. In addition, there are things like control over your speed of work, autonomy in the workplace. When you don’t have that much autonomy, when you don’t have that much control, and when you’re not financially compensated adequately, it can all become important areas of stress.
The other thing is support at the workplace. For example, having a crèche where you can leave a child and be comfortable that she is looked after. Women additionally have to look after the elders in the family. So there’s this expectation that you you’re going to balance everything together.
Q. What can women with high-flying careers do to develop psychological resilience?
I think being inclusive, getting more people on board, working in teams, sharing success, being empathetic are all ways in which women not only help others but also help themselves in a work environment. The second thing is reasonable time management, prioritisation. At the end of the day, it’s also about having good support systems at home, at the workplace, and having ways of unwinding.
Q. Is the mental health stigma reducing?
I think there’s an expectation that if you have to be happy, you cannot have any negative moments. That’s simply not the case. People who are generally mentally well also have their ups and downs, but they possibly train themselves to come back to the middle and to the centre even when these things happen.
The second thing is that it’s considered wrong to talk about your mental state. If it’s a headache, you can talk about it. But if it’s anxiety, you can’t. That’s the kind of dichotomy we create between physical and mental symptoms. We have a brain inside our head and it is an organ, just like the liver, heart, kidney and everything else. So when things go wrong, you know you do get stressed. Therefore, it’s important to recognise that and to know how to deal with it effectively.
The other thing is the perception that it is a sign of weakness to have any kind of mental symptoms. There is enough literature to suggest that whether it’s eating disorders or depression or anxiety, chemical changes occur in the brain. For example, women have premenstrual symptoms not because they are weak. It’s because they have a certain type of constitution, which makes them more vulnerable to these things. Understanding this is critical.
Similarly, acknowledging or accepting that one has a mental disorder. Sadly, we stigmatise these important areas where help is available and people can get better. And society somewhere along the line normalises the use of substances. So, society needs to reorient to what really is a priority.
Q. Which are the mental health helplines available today?
14416 is one number I’d like to share because it’s a teleman number, and available in practically every state, Union territory. It provides people with one level of counselling and also recognises that if they have a more severe problem, they can see a mental healthcare professional. Many states have other kinds of helplines, such as women’s helplines. SNEHA in Chennai runs a very important helpline for people who feel they don’t want to live anymore. NGOs also have helplines trying to reach out to people. But the important thing is that people must never feel there is no help available. I always tell people that even when all the doors seem closed, there will always be a window open. Every life is precious and we need to support people to get over and move forward.
Q. Has access to mental health support improved?
Roughly one in 10 of us has a diagnosable mental disorder. And for every such person, there are probably 6 to 8 times more people experiencing some kind of psychological distress. It’s a huge number, but we want to see not just the problem but the responses to it. So, we’re looking at the systems available in the states and Union territories, how responsive these are, how many people are being seen in medical colleges and hospitals and so on.
And what about vulnerable populations—people in prisons, correctional centres? Women particularly. We’re looking at some of those issues and vulnerable communities. We’re also assessing where we need to ramp up the services so that nobody slips through the system. Suicide prevention is yet another important area.
Q. How do we care better for our mental wellbeing?
First, accept that ups and downs are part of our existence. Second, learn to look after yourself. Self-care is most important as far as mental health is concerned. It means your thoughts, feelings, behaviour, introspection about it, changing the things you can change reasonably. Just like physical exercise, relaxing the mind is very important, whether it’s through mindfulness, yoga, a walk or learning music. Have some kind of a stress-buster. A good diet is also very important.
Be compassionate to yourself. We’re always very critical. We’re always investing in negative symptoms. Be grateful for what you have and, of course, be passionate and motivated. Get social support, get families to support you. Be a little altruistic, you will be better off. And, if there is distress, reach out. By doing all this, be mentally healthy and also take care of people with a mental problem.
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Rohit Malhotra is a medical expert and health journalist who offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being. His articles aim to help readers lead healthier lives.
