Posted on: Post Date – 12:50 AM, Thurs – 11/17/22
Acknowledging, regulating and addressing mental health issues in the midst of information chaos is the only way forward. Acknowledging, regulating and addressing mental health issues in the midst of information chaos is the only way forward.
byNanditha Kalidoss
The past two pandemic years have seen a sudden and significant global shift to the online realm. According to ITU statistics, 63% of the world’s population will use the Internet by 2021, with working from home, online courses and increased access to social media across the board becoming the norm. According to TRAI’s quarterly Service Performance Indicators report for January 2022 to March 2022, India’s Internet user base has surpassed 820 million, an increase of 110 million Internet users compared to 2019.
The unseen downsides of this shift to cyberspace are twofold: increased spread of fake news/misinformation and impact on mental health. While this is an expected outcome of the information explosion, the problem arises when fake news and overconsumption affect mental health.
Growing digital penetration and increasing smartphone affordability is a step toward realizing the digital dream, but there is a huge digital literacy gap, which has led to a flood of misinformation. According to the “Lancet” magazine, in 2017, 1 in 7 Indians suffered from mental disorders of varying degrees. In other words, there was an invisible mental health crisis steeped in stigma and taboo even before the pandemic hit. Misinformation often finds its way into our feeds due to bespoke content set by algorithms, which in turn leads to paranoia and mental anguish. For example, during the second wave, Google searches for keywords such as anxiety and suicide increased dramatically.
Given the umbrella term for mental health, it is critical to understand the diversity within the mental health spectrum. Although clinically, categories for each disorder range from mild, moderate, and severe, states have a responsibility to address some common causes, including cyberbullying, physical problems, discrimination based on religion and caste, generational discrimination and childhood trauma, dietary Disorder, incarceration, gender-based violence and financial hardship.
Accidental death and suicide data from India’s National Crime Records Bureau shows a significant increase in suicide deaths and suicide rates in recent years. By the way, the 2017 Mental Health Care Act was passed in these years. The rise in 2020 and 2021 gives the impression of a Covid-induced suicide. What’s particularly interesting is that trends show that men are more likely than women to commit suicide. One of the most relevant potential reasons for this strange phenomenon is men’s lack of willingness to seek help and use addictive substances.
bleak reality
The mental health discourse in India presents a bleak reality. Lack of awareness further complicates the issue; stratified at the intersection of science and tradition due to misinformation and lack of availability, accessibility and affordability of mental health care infrastructure. Even traditionally, the media has always portrayed mental illness as mysterious and “unnatural,” often associated with paranormal activity and movie images of electroshock and asylum.
A recent World Health Organization report states that nearly one billion people in the world suffer from mental disorders. This crisis will translate into social, economic and emotional costs with long-term consequences. For example, the cumulative global economic loss related to mental illness between 2011 and 2030 will reach $16.3 trillion, according to World Economic Forum projections for 2021. In other words, by 2030, mental health illnesses could cost the global economy more than cancer or diabetes, and in the form of lost productivity, education, law and order, and more. While the data points to a clear and imminent wave of mental health problems across the globe, India is clearly not prepared for another battle of this magnitude.
Given supply and demand issues, including stigma, doctor-patient ratios, and expensive medicines, a dual strategy is proposed to address the intersection of mental health and misinformation in the current context, improving emotional literacy and media literacy.
It is important to understand the psychological and behavioral aspects of misinformation and its impact on mental health, and therefore, address the root causes of the problem. Responsibility lies with a multisectoral and multistakeholder approach, including mental health professionals, healthcare professionals, media and government. Even on a personal level, an effort must be made to educate yourself and your loved ones about these issues.
what can be done
government and medical professionals
As with the well-known polio vaccination campaign, the government must work with medical professionals to develop a wealth of information, communication and educational material on mental health. The allocation of Rs 7.13 billion for mental health care in the 2020-21 budget, while insufficient, is a progressive step in acknowledging the crisis. The limited success of the Bellary model or district mental health plans must be taken into account, as the PHC’s GPs are trained and equipped to deal with such challenges. In addition to the proposed telecounseling, essential mental health services and programs must be available at the state, territorial and local levels, with specific helplines available. For long-term success, a viable and scalable model is a must.
media
Working with expert advice, the media must focus on identifying and acknowledging mental health issues across all age groups, home diagnosis (list of symptoms) and management, when to seek help, etc. Like Dr Mahinder Watsa’s Sex Education, print media must have dedicated columns to answer readers’ specific questions — and many publications already cover some of these issues in the context of the pandemic. Digital and social media platforms must also harness the power of platforms, including influencers and scrolling formats, to counter misinformation and foster conversations around mental health. While several celebrities have been speaking out about their mental health experiences, more influential people must rally behind the cause.
educational institution
The findings of the 2022 Government Survey on Pupils’ Mental Health and Wellbeing underscore the importance of pupils’ emotional wellbeing and suggest the need for a radical change in school climate and practices, including by preparing teachers to create and support pupils’ emotional wellbeing. In the context of awareness-raising programmes, “starting early” is crucial. Just as the curriculum has dedicated courses on health, hygiene, nutrition and sanitation, there must be courses on mental health to raise awareness of the importance of emotional and mental health. This will also help de-stigmatize the topic and sensitize kids from an early age.
workplace
Deloitte’s “Mental Health and Wellbeing in the Workplace” is an important step in understanding and designing solutions for workplace environments. The framework and suggested solutions encompass the life cycle of workplace health; providing preventive, proactive and reactive care becomes imperative.
The way forward to tackle online misinformation is through self-regulation. Given the breadth of commitments and the diversity of stakeholders involved, the proposed code of conduct would follow a self-regulatory mechanism similar to that of the Internet and Mobile Association of India, a voluntary code of conduct for fair elections. One of the unseen effects of such massive misinformation is the erosion of trust in state capabilities. However, the solution to this mistrust is transparency, and this code of conduct to combat the infodemic is a step in that direction.
As is the case in the EU, there must be a “code of conduct on disinformation” to curb the spread of misinformation, and information related to public/mental health issues where scientific facts and sources are available. While flagging misinformation is essential, it is also important to make it more interactive and provide consumers with evidence-based information and reliable sources.
While we live vicarious lives, such as how an invisible virus is wreaking havoc around the world, it is important not to repeat the same mistakes, and to prepare for the imminent invisible mental health crisis that is brewing around the world. A consistent, firm and tailored approach to acknowledging, regulating and addressing mental health issues is the only way forward amidst the confusion of information.
(The author is the person in charge of the communication [Misinformation] In fact)
