We have a long way to go: Deepika on mental health stigma

Actor she feels the taboo built around the illness is now slowly reducing

NEW DELHI: Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone called for bolder efforts by Indians to end the stigma surrounding mental illness. "We have a long way to go," said the A-lister, who went public about her struggle with depression in 2015 and won praise for her campaign to spark public discourse on mental health in a country that has traditionally considered such illnesses taboo.

The 32-year-old, who starred in the hits Padmaavat and xXx: Return of Xander Cage opposite Vin Diesel, founded the Live Laugh Love Foundation to create awareness about mental health. The charity on Friday launched the results of a survey it conducted in eight Indian cities, including New Delhi and Mumbai, which showed nearly half of Indians held prejudices against people with mental illnesses.

PHOTO: INDIA TODAY

Three out of five of the 3,556 people interviewed for the study referred to the mentally ill using terms like "retard", "crazy", or "stupid". While a little more than half expressed some fear towards mentally unhealthy people – with many preferring they be ostracised – over three-fourths showed sympathy.

Fifty-one percent said they would seek professional help if they suffered from a mental illness, signalling a shift in the fear and shame usually attached with it in India. "What gives us immense satisfaction is knowing that the stigma built around mental illness over the years is now slowly reducing," Padukone said. "We have come a long way in the last three years, there is increased... awareness, but I still think we have a long way to go."

PHOTO: FILE

More than 50 million Indians suffered from depression and over 30 million from anxiety disorders in 2015, a World Health Organization (WHO) study released last year said. In December, India's president warned that the country of 1.3 billion people faces "a possible mental health epidemic" while releasing a report that found 10 percent Indians suffered from at least one mental illness.

India has the highest number of suicides in South Asia after Sri Lanka, according to the WHO. "We need to contribute towards building a more caring and inclusive society where those suffering from mental illnesses have a society that they can trust and rely on," Padukone said. "India needs it and the world needs it now more than ever before."

PHOTO: INDIA TIMES

In October last year, Deepika revealed that she may still be battling depression. She expressed how difficult her previous battle with depression had been and that she fears a relapse. “I don’t think I can say that I’m completely over it (depression). There is always a fear at the back of my mind that I might have a relapse because it has been such a bad experience for me” she said.

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