Youth and Mental Health

Health is an important factor to alive any global citizen. Without health we cannot imagine our physical, mental and sensational development. When we feel uncomfortable in the environment human health travel to unhealthiness.

Human body and nature is two parts of one coin. So, the environment between inside and outside the body make difference the health status of every human beings. In this global arena, we conclude our life depends in technology more than techniques. The motion picture and busy inside the screen has creates an artificial environment but we cannot adjust there. After long time our body reacts the consequences of our artificiality. When we usual in the artificial environment, we are going to alone from the family, society and natural environment; results we dis-balanced our mental situation. However, we created our own world inside virtual network. But after a long time, its results make us scared and get many problems. Such as we cannot express our thoughts, emotions, feelings towards family and friends. When we enjoy in the virtual world we didn't care about it but at the long time, we have a mental health related problem because we can not adopt and adjust the natural and cultural phenomenon outside of virtual world.

Youth and Mental Health is the essential issue for today's world. Youth also refers to working age of the human life which is a golden time to everybody's life. In this time every youth engage as per their passion and goals. Here, Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Number 3 "Good Health and Well Being" also focus in the health issues of global members. The United Nation also define the 'youth', as those persons between the ages of 15 to 24 years, without prejudice to other definitions by Member States.

Many of the youth specially the teenagers (13-19) groups is very sensational age group of global citizens. Like, dislike, sharing, doubt, feelings, emotions, attraction, love, tragedy, fail, unsuccessful, betray, expectations, ambitiousness, motivation, pressures, abuse, addiction are the key areas guided to mental problem. When a person couldn't get the way of ways out from the problem s/he faced, s/he attempt suicide, hanging and other accidental phenomenon. A person whom faced a mental problem once, is only known it's suffered.  In our society, mental health issues are connect to the serious problem and treated them from the society not as a general.

 Psycho-Social Disabilities

According to the Promoting Rights And Community Living for Children with Psycho-social Disabilities Report by World Health Organization  mentioned the  term "Psycho-social Disabilities" refers to the disabilities of children with either diagnosed or perceived mental health conditions and/or intellectual impairments, which may also be caused by stigma, discrimination and exclusion. On the other hand, this reports refers "Intellectual impairment", to a state of arrested or incomplete development of mind, which means that the person can have difficulties understanding, learning and remembering new things, and in applying that learning to new situations. This term also known as intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, learning difficulties, and formerly as mental retardation or mental handicap. This report explain the "Mental Health" is 'A health condition characterized by alternations in thinking, mood or behavior associated with distress or interference with personal functions. However, United Nation Convention on the Rights of Person with Disabilities (UNCRPD) mention that 'Person with Disabilities' include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. At last, we reach to conclusion that any kind of disabilities is create by situation and barriers of society. So, psycho-social disability is the situation which we may decrease through prior counselling, positive motivation, spiritual meditation and yoga. We create the world to adjust, adopt and intermingle in the surround environments with sharing opportunity to their friends, family and society may reduce any mental problem which assist to stop the way forward of psycho-social disabilities. In this way, we can create a listening culture than before and always concentrate in prevention and promotion of mental health awareness.

Reason to appear Psychological Problem in Youth

1. Drug Addiction
2. Insecure sexual activities
3. Problems in relationship
4. Problem in emotional health
5. Infectious infection
6. Accident
7. Depreciation in physical and mental health
8. Poverty, scarcity and backward
9. Lack of health and education facilities
10. Inequality
11. Social exclusion
12. Dangerous environment
13. Effect of violence
14. Risk of human trafficking
15. Working Pressures and Torture

In this way, the psychological problem in youth is an emerging issues of the world. In this global era, psychological problem is the state of any being but to ignore it  to cause psycho-social disabilities. In this way, psycho-social disabilities is the state of any human being which exists from the aforementioned reasons. 

Knowledge Sharing and Interaction Seminar by KOSHISH and National Youth Council, Nepal

Participant from various youth organizations representing the youth

KOSHISH and National Youth Council Nepal had jointly organized the discussion and knowledge sharing program on 'Youth and Mental Health' held in Kathmandu at 22nd December 2019. Mr. Madhab Prasad Dhungel, Vice President of National Youth Council chair as a Chief guest of the seminar and the Founder President of KOSHISH, Mr. Matrika Poudel chair as a Head of the Seminar. This is the first seminar jointly done by National Youth Council Nepal and KOSHISH in Mental Health. Dr. Baburam Dhungana from National Youth Council and  Ms. Kripa Sigdel and Sujan Shrestha from KOSHISH presents two presentation in the during seminar. Youth represent from multiple sector were benefited from their joint presentation. "Cause, Reason and Solution as well as Status of Youth and Mental Health  in Nepal are the key areas of presentation was really valuable to me", said Chhabi  Ale. 

Dr. Baburam Dhungana from National Youth Council had presented the status of youth council and its feature. He presented the current situation of Nepalese youth and their suffer to seek the job. In his presentation he explain the three main areas as National Youth Council, Status of Nepalese Youth and Mental Health. During his presentation, he explain the plan of National Youth Council such as they want to divide the youth as 18-24 years and 25-40 years. It's planned to provide education, health, leadership, skill development and entrepreneurship for 18-24 years age group and developed the youth of 25-40 years age group for employment, leadership, management, youth entrepreneurship and seed funding to begins any types of industry and innovation. According to him, Government of Nepal is building the policy for assist the youth to success the youth vision 2025 which third pillar describe about Health and Social Security where the health is cover the mental health too. In this way, he justify that most of the mental health in Nepal is creating by the employment, domestic violence and discrimination among the people. In his presentation, he presented the data according to the  National Mental Health Survey, 2.2 millions Nepalese suffered from mental health whom are under 16-40 years age. The burden is even high for low and middle-income countries like Nepal with less than efficient mental health service-regarding limited  diagnostic, treatment and availability of human resources to address mental health issues. Nepal has seventh highest suicide rate in the world-mostly among girls and women of reproductive age. Nepal government is sincere for this incident happening in Nepal that why government of Nepal has follow the trial rule to reduce mental suffer of their citizen through the combination of medicine, psychotherapy and counseling wherever they use the primitive techniques like yoga, meditation and  modern relaxation techniques.

Address the seminar by Madhav Prasad Dhungel, Vice-President, National Youth Council 

The another turn of Ms. Kripa Sigdel and Sujan Shrestha presentation in the Seminar. They presented the 'Reports of youth mental health law and policy from KOSHISH Nepal. According to the census 2011 of Nepal the total number of youth (15-24)age are 52 millions 90 thousand and fifty one which is 20% of total population of Nepal. The constitution of federal republic of Nepal has assure the mental health for every citizens of Nepal. Mental Problem is not to be understanding only a mental illness and unwell but it need to understand its multiple aspects such as emotional, psychological and social well being which enhance their mental resilience and improve their mental health.

Address the Seminar by Matrika Poudel, Founder President, KOSHISH

 According to World Health Organization most of the mental health problem starting as the age of 14 and three fourth mental problem begins till the age of 20. Many health related research shows 7.5-11% Disability Adjusted Life Year(DALY) exist from psycho-social disabilities where 1 daily refers to spend the one year of healthy life. The estimate of DALY will assume 15% till 2020. According to the Nepal Police source of fiscal year 2074/75 to 75/076 (first six months) rate of suicidal death is 7 thousand 1 hundred and 44 people where we see this data, 57% of suicidal  death was under the 15-24 age group which is really being terrific. Every people has think once to suicide in their lifetime if we dig out the reason behind this we may solve the psychological problem happen in the person and the people.

Legal Status of Mental Health in Nepal 

Constitution of federal republic of Nepal 2015 has assure every citizens should have rights to mental health. The following acts of Nepal has mentioning health related issues but they are unable to address the mental health. 

1. The Act Relating to Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2017
2. The Public Health Service Act 2018
3. The Act Related to Compulsory and Free Education 2017
4. The Right to Employment Act 2018
5. The Act Related to Children 2018
6. The Social Security Act 2018
7. National Health Policy 2071 (B.S)  
8. National Youth Policy 2072 (B.S)  
9. Mental Health Related National Policy 2052(B.S)  

Group Photos of the Seminar

Finally, Menal Health problem is not a big problem in human being but the lack of effective communication environment mental health problem is increase day by day. We are not able to manage our life i.e. physically, mentally and emotionally in terms of lack of knowledge management which will harmful for our health. The noisy and hurry environment made us chaser and winner but lack of happiness and facing various problem in relationships consequence violence and insecure feeling within us. It may damage our thought process and motivation which convert the depression and mental unhealthier. After a long time it exist the situation of Psycho-Social Disability in person. In this way, we care our mental health through regular counselling, practice primitive yoga and peace of mind techniques as well regular interactivity and sharing environment is the way of solution of mental health related problem.