India, US should come together for the issue of mental health crisis: US surgeon general 

Noting that we are living through a growing mental health crisis that’s hitting young people particularly hard, United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said it’s time that India and the US collaborate to work on the issue. 

“One of the things I’m very proud of is the US and India health partnership. For six decades, we have worked on smallpox, polio, HIV, tuberculosis, COVID-19, and so many other health challenges. This is a time for us to come together as two nations to work on the issue of mental health, and the work that we do together can benefit not only our two countries but the entire world,” said Mr. Murthy, who was talking to mediapersons in Bengaluru. 

Contributing factors

The US surgeon general, whose roots trace back to Karnataka, also spoke about his visit to NIMHANS during the latest India trip.  

“When we were at NIMHANS, we actually spoke about numerous areas of collaboration that are already underway... We are proud of those collaborations. But we have a lot that we can learn from each other and we can do with one another. And we talked about many of those challenges and spaces today,” he said, further adding how he found the Tele MANAS programme very promising.  

Mr. Murthy, who spent time in Indian cities including Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru to learn about how India is experiencing the broader global mental health crisis, cited three main contributors to the issue. These include loneliness and isolation, the impact of social media on young people and the several pressures on students. 

Workplace stress

Acknowledging that the workplace has a profound effect on people’s mental health, Mr. Murthy spoke of the guidelines he issued in 2022 for mental health in the workplace.  

The guidelines laid out five essentials focusing on the safety of people at the workplace, connection and community, work-life harmony, which creates boundaries that allow people to have time to rest and recuperate and be with their families outside of work, growth, and people knowing that they and their work matter. 

“The reason that we did this is because nearly three-quarters of people were saying that their workplaces had a negative effect on their mental health...When people struggle with their mental health, it has a profound impact on your business and your company. The global cost of depression and anxiety is around one trillion US dollars a year,” he said. 

Larger consequences

Mr. Murthy, who spoke about the stigma and shame associated with mental health, pointed out that the mortality impact of social disconnection is on a par with that of smoking and obesity. 

“Mental health challenges have profound consequences, not just for our health, but also for economic productivity and educational outcomes. So, whether you care about any of these dimensions of society, we should care about mental health,” he said.

Published - October 13, 2024 06:00 am IST