Safeguarding Our Minds

Psychiatric patients among adult people are on the rise in the country, according to a new study of National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Bangladesh. The preliminary report further says that about 31 percent of adults- just under 1 in 3, suffer from some form of mental illness, which is almost double the previous survey’s result conducted in 2005 (Source: Daily Prothom Alo, October 10, 2016). Recently the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that one in four people in the world will be affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives. It placed mental disorders among the leading causes of worldwide ill-health and disability. Though connected globally with all our advanced communication technology, many of us, nonetheless, feel lonely, desolate and hopeless. Experts think that depression is one of the most common mental health problems. A big portion of our world population feels alienated deep inside. Cultural identity of a person plays one of the most crucial roles for the development of a healthy mind. We believe that regular participation in cultural practices and celebrations helps young individuals to form their own identities. A mind without identity is often confused, restless and prone to chronic subversion. Depression can be observed among individuals who fail to respond socially. It has been widely observed that depressed and alienated people usually show low moral standards. Many prominent psychologists have been trying to understand the connection between degradation of moral standards and the advent of globalisation. Some skeptics even consider globalisation as a disguised form of cultural domination. Among some of the urban people who are experiencing the influence of globalisation directly, a backlash against globalization has begun, with Western influences blamed for a decline in moral standards (Esposito, 1997). Research done by Dasen (2000) and Schlegel (2001) shows that adolescents play a pivotal role in the process of globalisation. Adolescents have enough maturity and liberty to seek for information and experiences outside the territory of their parental authority. They tend to have more interest than either children or adults in global media, which act as the leading purveyor of globalisation (Schlegel, 2001). It is also true that they are mentally susceptible and unlike adults, they have curiosity towards what is new and strange. In some of the sub Saharan countries, the rates of premarital sex and pregnancy are increasing as traditional systems of sexual control through rituals and folklore lose their relevance in the eyes of the young people. This problem is sometimes blamed on the introduction of Western media with their relentless sexual stimulation (Songue, 1998). Adolescents get utterly confused when they get alienated from their native culture. Their fight with growing frustration may result in an inability to differentiate between good and evil. This phenomenon can be observed everywhere in the world. For the last few years, some Middle Eastern terrorist groups have been targeting confused and vulnerable youths as their overseas recruits. These youngsters are mentally stressed about their identities and lack proper defense mechanism to cope with social challenges. Their depressed minds start seeking solace in violence. Excessive engagement in online social media and a reluctance to participate in communal activities is one of the major contributor to this break in communication. We need to accept and embrace our own culture and avoid creating the field for identity crisis. We must work to build an inclusive society where all voices are heard. We need to make a combined effort to eliminate depression in the young generation. WHO is now urging to integrate mental health care into community health care system more efficiently. In some societies, mental illness is perceived as a matter of embarrassment. We need to work together to change this view. By setting up integrated community health system, we can start to properly address mentally isolated youth and provide proper medical care. [The writer is manager, Biz development at Mango Teleservices Limited. He can be contacted through [email protected]]