Pratyush Kumar reports

Good mental health is related to mental and psychological well-being. Over the years, there have been increasing cases of anxiety, depression and suicides. One person dies every 40 seconds from suicide. Every suicide is a tragedy that has long-lasting effects on the people left behind. This year’s World Mental Health Day focus was on what can be done to prevent suicide.

Globally its prevalence is more among young age groups, but its widely reported across teens to elderly age groups.

There are many factors associated with these growing mental health issues but most important are loneliness and difficulty sharing inner trauma and pain, which keeps people entangled in depression, anxiety, low mood and sometimes ends up in suicide.

As family physician, this year on World Mental Health Day we tried to create awareness about suicide prevention. We did a 40 second video campaign to address mental health issues and suicide prevention. The 40 second video was to emphasise that every 40 seconds we lose someone to suicide.

This campaign was done in different languages such as English, Bengali, Tamil, Spanish, Catalan, Arabic, Polish and Malayalam with engagements from various Wonca Working Parties, Special Interest Groups and WONCA member organisations.

The WONCA Working Party on Mental Health is committed to ensure a universal gold standard of care for mental health, by empowerment through primary care and in collaboration with all interested stakeholders.

1. Every 40 seconds someone loses their life to suicide. Here is a 40 second video on #WorldMentalHealthDay by Prof Chris Dowrick, chair of the WONCA Working Party on Mental Health. Read full report below

Resources: https://www.globalfamilydoctor.com/News/WorldMentalHealthDayreport.aspx