Anxiety treatable, but 83% of affected did not get help
A study reveals that 83% of individuals suffering from anxiety disorders in India do not receive professional treatment. Experts attribute this gap to social stigma, lack of awareness, and the under-recognition of symptoms in both adults and children.
Why it matters
The high prevalence of untreated mental health conditions poses a significant public health challenge, impacting workforce productivity and individual quality of life.
Whenever Thane businessman Shekhar travels to south Mumbai for a meeting, he sets off over three hours early. This is because he plans his route carefully to ensure he is never more than five minutes from a hospital in case he "suffers a heart attack while driving".Karthik (32), an IIM graduate with a high-powered marketing job, dreads routine meetings. "There is this heaviness in my stomach and my legs seem leaden. It's a paralysing fear that stays until the meeting is over," he says.Shekhar and Karthik (names changed) have anxiety disorders, a group of conditions that can turn ordinary journeys, workplace interactions and social situations into emotional ordeals.The invisible burdenNational Mental Health Survey, conducted by National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) across 12 states between 2014 and 2016, found that 2.57% of adults had an anxiety disorder at the time of assessment.Around 83% of those affected were…
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