How to differentiate between normal mental health and mental health disorder? Is talking less or not answering, a mental health disorder? Mental health is overall wellness, how you adjust your emotions, feelings, or reactions. Sometimes people experience a significant disturbance in this mental functioning. The presence of mental health disorders can be felt if there is a change in thinking or feeling or behavior that is causing distress or disrupting a person's ability to function.

Mental health disorders can impact

• Personal and family relationships
• Social relations or equations
• Performance at schools or at work
• Things expected as per the age and intelligence

Cultural norms and social expectations also play a role in defining mental health disorders because what might be normal in one cultural group may be abnormal for others.

Facts about Mental health

• Nearly one billion people globally are living with mental health conditions. 

• Depression-related symptoms are the most cited signs of mental health issues among Indian professionals followed by burnout and irritability. 

• One out of seven in the age bracket of 10–19-year-olds suffers from a mental condition. These people experience a double threat – the impact of the condition itself and the damaging social consequences of stigma and discrimination.

The COVID pandemic has helped in highlighting the urgent mental health situation across the world. There was an estimated 25 % rise in the prevalence of depression and anxiety in the first year of the pandemic.

Mental health at the workplace

Poor mental health amongst employees costs Indian employers around US$14 billion yearly, says Deloitte’s Mental Health Survey. Around 80 percent of the Indian workforce has reported mental health issues over the past year. Of these, 33% continued working despite mental health issues, 29% took leave to manage their mental health and 20% of these resigned from their job. 

Diagnosing mental health disorder

The diagnosis is basically done by a Psychiatrist, Psychologist, Social worker, or other mental health professionals. Diagnosis is made based on certain findings

• Whether there is a history of mental health disorders running in the family.
• Complete physical check-ups that might be causing mental health disorders.
• Questions on major events or changes in life like the death of someone near, relationship, trauma, and work pressure.
• Questions on how you think, feel, or behave in typical situations.
• Questions on alcohol and drug abuse.
• Question on any kind of violence faced ever.
• Feedback from someone who knows you better.

Signs when the patient requires medical help

• A remarkable change in personality, eating, and sleeping patterns.
• Unable to cope with daily problems.
• Feeling of disconnection or behaving abnormally in a normal situation.
• Excessive anxiety
• Prolonged sadness, depression, and apathy
• Suicidal thoughts or thoughts of harming others
• Substance misuse
• Extreme mood swings
• Excessive anger or violent behavior.

Many people who have mental health disorders consider their symptoms as normal behavior, they avoid going to the doctor or seeking medical help out of shame or fear. But if you are really concerned about your health, seek medical advice for any such kind of symptoms.