A wake-up call to keep the mind hale and hearty
The Indian Psychiatric Society in Kerala has launched the 'Susmitham' campaign to reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues. The initiative aims to normalize conversations about emotional well-being and encourage people to seek professional help.
Why it matters
Addressing mental health stigma is critical for public health, especially in regions with high suicide rates like Kerala.
Why is it that the concern and care that people give to treat an injury, a fracture or even an ordinary cold and cough is absent when it concerns treating the mind? When the mind goes through a distressing time, why do people prefer to suffer in silence?
People prefer to bottle up emotional distress, anxiety, depression, severe stress or suicidal thoughts because they fear rejection and judgement from society.
However, this stigma is one of the reasons why the suicide rates in Keralam — 30.2 per one lakh population — has always been far ahead of the national rate (12.2). According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data for 2024, Kerala recorded 10,865 suicide deaths, marginally lower than the 10,972 recorded in 2023.
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