Foundation of this day is dated back in 1992 as an annual activity of World federation for mental health by Richard Hunter. Since then 10^th October is marked as world mental health day every year and themes are different every year to spread awareness about mental health as well as mental illnesses. This year, the theme has been chosen as “dignity in mental health”. It promotes the notion that absence of dignity and respect in treatment of mental illness survivors often worsen their conditions. This year, we emphasize the importance of adding dignity and respect as a paradigm of mental health care services. Data base of WHO (world health organization) reveals that millions of people suffer from mental illnesses are deprived from their basic needs related to mental health care. Discriminative and marginalized attitude of family members, neighbours, community and sometime incompetent mental health professionals bring their conditions to worst. Failure to meet their basic needs not only affect their clinical condition, it increases the likelihood of relapse and prevent the process of recovery. A major cause behind this condition is “STIGMA” and “TABOOS” of society towards mental health/illness issues. It only requires an attitude and vision of seeing their world with their own perspectives. You, as one volunteer, can spread awareness about dignity in mental health by:

• Listening and understanding needs of mental health care seekers.
• Spreading awareness about availability of mental health care services.
• Educating people about mental illnesses and available treatments programs.
• Promoting mental health care services and their benefits.
• Communicating about myths and facts related to mental illnesses
• Helping society to be and making others stigma free
• Develop support groups for mental health care seekers in their own community and society

The issue of dignity in mental health is not restricted to communities or societies mental illness survivors live in. It expands to the professional level and demands right attitude of mental health care providers towards their consumers. Here, right attitude means ethical and ethical means following actual ethical guidelines that are given by concerning bodies not what some incompetent mental health care providers practice. As mental health care providers we are not only supposed to deliver services, rather, deliver best services. As consumers of our services our clients deserve to:

• Know the procedure of treatment and involved cost
• Communicate their needs freely in-front-of their treating teams
• Consume best in-patient care services including infrastructure, leisure activity facilities, outings etc.
• Consumer acts related to mental health care services.

When we are providers of a service, we are supposed to deliver satisfaction along with the treatment requirements. We need to:

• Give due respect to our clients by following client centred approach
• Understand their requirements and communicate our understanding to them
• Understand not only their emotional but also their financial state
• Understand whether the treatment plan is affordable for them or not
• Provide them with suitable alternatives if one suggested plan is not affordable
• Understand caregiver burden and give due respect to the family members as well
• Maintain harmony in the treatment process
• Avail your consumers with best in and out-patient facilities
• Respect privacy on gender basis related to in-patient care settings
• Keep a track of their needs along with available and provided facilities

On this world mental health day let’s take a pledge to be and make others stigma free and help the survivors of mental illnesses to recover with dignity and respect.

Neelam Verma

Consultant Clinical Psychologist

Email: info@talktocure.com

Website: www.talktocure.com