World Mental Health Day: Tricity doctors share insights on effective stress management

A series of activities aimed at fostering greater understanding of workplace mental health marked the Mental Health Week from October 4 to 10. The Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, Chandigarh, under the leadership of Dr Ajeet Sidana, HOD, Psychiatry, organised slew of programmes.

This year’s theme, ‘Mental Health at Work’ emphasises the critical need for mental health awareness and support in professional environments. As part of the initiative, a weeklong programme was organised to sensitise patients and caregivers visiting GMCH on mental health, including a ‘nukkad natak’ (street play) highlighting major mental health conditions, their symptoms and available treatment.

In another event to mark World Mental Health Day held at Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, Sector 34, veteran psychiatrist Dr (Col) Rajinder Singh stressed the need to practice flexibility to be able to adapt to stressors for maintaining psychological well-being.

According to him, resilient people are able to adapt to day-to-day stress, crises and trauma. “They are able to bounce back from ups and downs of life and move forward in a normal way,” he said, while dwelling on a variety of other issues, including coping mechanisms, lifestyle modification, exercise and yoga, for maintaining good mental health.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Shubh Mohan Singh of the Department of Psychiatry, PGIMER, shared how mental health has intrinsic and instrumental value and is integral to our wellbeing. Prof Shubh Mohan expressed his concern on high suicide rate, especially among young adults, which he thinks is an Indian problem.

‘Transient stress avoidable’

“Nowhere in the world would you hear that a student died of suicide due to less marks or failing a subject, or a young boy or girl ending their life due to break-up, financial loss. These actions are resultant of all transient stress (temporary and more quickly-resolved sources of stress), which is easily avoidable with ‘not today’ approach. After months or days, a person might not feel the same amount of mental stress for temporary loss like relationship, money or job,” he said.

Talking specifically about this year’s theme ‘Mental Health at Work’, Prof Shubh Mohan shared how government employees are often prone to stress rather than corporate employees because the former give too much importance to the job. “For government employees, leaving a job would be the last straw and it guarantees a lot of things be it financial security, family security or reputation in society. ”

Mental health at the workplace in India is a big concern. A survey by Deloitte in 2022 found that 47% of Indian employees reported experiencing stress or anxiety at work.

Dr Hardeep Singh, Senior Consultant, Department of Mental Health at a private hospital, explained that every workplace has its own story related to stress, but there are ways to manage the mental stress. “Companies should consider implementing mental health calculators to assess workplace stress levels. It can be ensured that mental health coverage is included in employee insurance plans,” he added.

Stay mentally fit

According to Prof Shubh Mohan, staying mentally sound is not different to staying physically healthy. All healthy lifestyle practices attribute to mental wellbeing.

• Use time efficiently and feel more in control
• Set time for regular meals
• Set aside time for family and friends
• Exercise daily
• Emphasis on balanced diet
• Do not avoid chores and other recreational activities
• Adequate sleep
• When in stress talk to someone or inculcate the habit of journaling
• Say no to drugs

Activities mark Mental Health Week

• An engaging interactive session at Anganwadi, Sector 56, Chandigarh, focusing on the theme ‘Effects of Workplace Stress on Mental Health’. An interactive session on ‘Work-Life Balance: The Key to Sustainable Productivity and Well-being’ was organised at the Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Mullanpur.
• A mental health camp organised at Maloya Senior Secondary School. An interactive session on ‘Prioritising Mental Health: Building Healthy Habits for Academic Success’ was conducted at Shri Dhanwantry Ayurvedic College & Hospital, Sector 46, Chandigarh.
• Mental Health Week concluded with an awareness talk at Police Lines, Sector 26, Chandigarh. At Panjab University, an interactive lecture on “Nurturing Mental Wellness: Habits for Enhancing Academic Performance” was held.
• The day was marked by Akal Drug De-Addiction Centre of The Kalgidhar Trust Baru Sahib. An event was held at Gurdwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Sahib, Sector 34-D, Chandigarh.