Today World Health Day is being celebrated around the world. The WHO has released a report on this occasion. According to this, 1 in 4 children aged 13 to 15 years are suffering from depression. Talking about the entire South East Asia, 8.8 million people are in the grip of depression. WHO said that out of 10 countries in Southeast Asia, the highest number of suicides is in India. The WHO released a report titled ‘The State of Mental Health: A Proof of Action in South East Asia’, which states that in the year 2012, the suicide rate of 1 lakh people in the age group of 15 to 29 years in India was 35.5.
Poonam Khetrapal Singh, director of the WHO’s South-East Asia Region, said that depression can be a cause of suicide and the second biggest cause of death among people aged 15 to 29 years is suicide. Health services related to depression should be made that are easily accessible to people and are of high quality. World Health Day is celebrated on April 7th worldwide. The report released on Thursday 6 April on its eve says that India’s population is 131.11 crore, of which the number of teenagers aged 13 to 15 years is 7.5 million. It is 5.8% of the total population.
WHO’s report on depression, suggests that 7% of teenagers were found to be prone to vandalism. He felt hurt by the comments of his family members, teachers, and elders. The report says that 25% of the teenagers are ‘depressed or disappointed’, while 11% most of the time can not concentrate on their work.
The WHO says that 8% of teenagers are unhappy because of anxiety or they do not sleep. So 8 percent of the teens feel lonely most of the time. 10.1% of teenagers have no close friends. According to the report, a large number of students complained to their parents about their low intimacy. Four percent of teens smoke tobacco products while 8 percent drink alcohol.
Poonam Singh praised India for the mental health care bill in which suicide was not considered a crime and arrangements were made to provide the treatment of such a person’s mental condition. “In the top ten health priorities in recent years in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indonesia, Maldives and Sri Lanka, mental health is also one. Out of 11, 8 member countries have mental health policies or plans.
Singh said, “If we feel the symptoms of depression, we can help ourselves in a good manner by talking freely about it and understanding its signs and symptoms better. Also, we can help our colleagues, friends and loved ones who may become depressed. ‘ Although depression affects people of all age groups, but it is common among most teenagers and young people, especially after the birth of the child and above the age of 60 years of age.
Speaking of symptoms of depression, it does not include sleep properly, less appetite, guilt, lack of self-confidence, fatigue, and lethargy. It is also the symptom of stimulation or physical anxiety, taking intoxicants, decreasing concentration and taking care of self-harm. For people passing through depression, it can be helpful to talk to a person on whom they trust or to stay in touch with their loved ones on a regular basis to overcome.
World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 every year in the year of the World Health Organization’s establishment of WHO, and each year it is selected for a theme that holds importance in public health.
