Hyderabad, July 31: Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan on Saturday called for increased awareness on mental health issues.

She said that due to lack of mental health awareness, many people and their families have been suffering silently.

“Mental health is an essential and integral part of health. It is just not the absence of the mental illness. It is the foundation for wellbeing and effective functioning of individuals,” she added.

The Governor was virtually launching the 7^th annual conference of the Indian Psychiatric Society, Telangana State (TSPSYCON-2021), from the Raj Bhavan, here.

She stated that mental health is one of the leading non-communicable diseases ailing the world. Prevalence of psychiatric disorders witnessed a massive increase since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic.

The Governor said that if diagnosed and treated early, it will not result in serious consequences. It is important to acknowledge mental illness as a health issue and seek the professional help without any hesitation.

“The family members and others must not stigmatize the mental illness. Instead they should support the affected and help them recover by seeking professional medical help,” she added.

Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan expressed concern that every 6^th Indian needs help on mental health.

“Studies are indicating that India is likely to incur a huge loss of around 1.3 Trillion US dollars between 2012 and 2030 due to these mental health issues affecting large number of people,” she added.

The Governor lauded that some celebrities have started openly discussing about the mental health issues and the trauma that they went through and how they bounced back with the medical help. She termed it as a welcome sign.