Far from its tranquil image, Goa has witnessed a spate of suicides in the last one year. Most of them are youth at the threshold of life. These tragedies reveal a startling statistic, a rise not just in numbers but also in mental health crises.
When one refers to mental health, it is not just the absence of mental illness. The World Health Organisation de- scribes mental health as mental well-be- ing, including the prevention of mental disorders, treatment, and rehabilitation.
The connection between mental and physical health is inseparable. The Cov- id pandemic was accompanied by an increase of more than 25% in depres- sion and anxiety in the rst year alone, highlighting how quickly mental health crises can emerge from medical and physical emergencies. Attention to men- tal health and wellbeing is an invest- ment into a better future for people in Goa. In fact, mental wellbeing is crucial for anyone’s e ective functioning on a daily basis.
Mental health infrastructure Goa's mental health infrastructure no doubt has evolved through the years. The rst mental hospital was estab- lished in July 1957 at Altinho, Panaji, fol- lowed by the Department of Psychiatry at Goa Medical College in 1968. In 1980, the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour was established as an inde- pendent entity and, by 2001, shi ed to its now-present premises in Bambolim.
Currently, IPHB records well over 100 consultations per day. Besides, the North Goa as well as South Goa district hospitals also attend daily to persons with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts, and bipolar disorders. On the positive side, this data reveals that people are indeed actively seeking treatment for serious mental health concerns.
Common myths, severity Despite this progress, some do not take symptoms seriously. Instead of seeking help, some along with family members prefer to wait and watch, hoping that they will heal with time. Common myths still persist. The truth is that just like you need medication for physical health, mental health needs it too. People with mental illness can recover and manage their conditions e ectively with consist- ent support and treatment.
Mental health conditions exist on a continuum with three degrees of sever- ity. At a mild level, there are few symp- toms resulting in only minor functional impairment. A person can generally maintain daily activities with some dif- culty. At moderate severity, symptoms and functional impairment are between mild and severe. Performance in school or work is a ected, the ability to socialise might be compromised, and home life is impacted more signi cantly.
At severe severity, the person is really quite unable to focus or function in school or work. They may experience a break from reality itself. This level of severity is the conventional idea most people have of mental illness.
Silent mental traumas However, away from this spectrum, there is a much larger silent pandemic of mental health battles that is going unnoticed for many people in Goa, because some agonies have come to be so normalised. And these conditions also need attention, as they signi cantly a ect the peace of most people and the quality of their daily life.
While more serious mental conditions receive some attention, these are silent mental traumas being experienced by people who may never seek help or counselling and will quietly bear their burden, resigning themselves to their fate.
It could be a couple, who are leading parallel disconnected lives, feels frus- trated in a marriage where one spouse is only giving while the other is only taking. It could be a child who feels neglected over a favourite sibling. Persons who have been at the receiving end of verbal, emotional, physical and sexual abuse. An o ce-goer who has been overbur- dened with work only to be overlooked when the promotion is concerned. Elder- ly people battling it out in courts, won- dering whether justice will ever come to be delivered in this lifetime. A carer experiencing total burnout of a bedrid- den family member and feels guilty for wanting a break. A daughter-in-law who has to bear the spiteful comments from the in-laws who are still treating her as a stranger. An entire family that adjusts around the moods of a narcissistic, hot-tempered family member. Someone who is struggling with nances, loans and debts and worried about repay- ments and meeting needs at the end of the month. An adolescent who is toler- ating being bullied so as to t in. A stu- dent who is being criticised all the time by a teacher. Most of us have just not learned how to handle rejection of any kind. This list can go on. Around us, we will nd at least one person experienc- ing such distress. We simply put these experiences down to a way of life and move on. Sadly these hassles of daily living itself cause some people to simply survive rather than actually live.
A caring society While young students can approach the counsellors at educational institutions, others can approach NGOs or helplines or explore digital apps that provide some guided self-help if they prefer not to approach professional help. It is important to have a 3 a.m. friend, some- one you can trust and call on at any time without hesitation. The issue may not be resolved, but sharing one’s worries or having a shoulder to cry one’s heart out de nitely eases the tension.
Therefore, mental health must be understood not only in terms of visible illness but also in the quiet su ering that many carry through the ordinary de- mands of life. The ignored hurts of daily life may not always announce them- selves as a crisis, yet they slowly erode resilience, relationships and hope. If we truly value wellbeing, then we must learn to notice the pain behind the smiles, the silence behind the coping and the struggle behind the routine. A caring so- ciety in Goa is one that does not wait for breakdown before it responds but one that o ers empathy, support and dignity at the rst signs of distress. Perhaps we need to look beyond diagnostic labels and simply look around and play our own role in mental wellbeing.
