Yoga, possible treatment for mental disorders

Chelliah Thuraiappah
Dip-in-Yoga Therapy (India)
Consultant Yoga Therapist
Member – The International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT)

Most people believe that mental disorders are rare and happen to someone else. In fact mental disorders are common and widespread. Most families are not prepared to cope with learning their loved one has a mental illness. If you think you or someone you know have a mental or emotional problem, it is important to remember there is hope and help.

The mental state of a person is characterized by personal growth, sense of purpose, self acceptance and positive relationship with his/her people. It is highly affected by environmental factors, family life, social life, life at work. The most common mental problems are anxiety and depression.

Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his/her own potential, can cope up with normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and able to contribute to his/her community. In this positive sense, mental health is the foundation for individual well-being and the effective functioning of a community.

More than 450 million people suffer from mental disorders worldwide. Many more have mental problems. Mental health is an integral part of health; indeed, there is no health without mental health. Mental health is more than the absence of mental disorders. Mental health is determined by socio-economic, biological and environmental factors. Cost-effective intersectoral strategies and interventions exist to promote mental health. Mental health is an integral and essential component of health. The WHO constitution states: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, spiritual and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. An important consequence of this definition is that mental health is described as more than the absence of mental disorders or disabilities.

Multiple social, psychological, and biological factors determine the level of mental health of a person at any point of time. For example, persistent socio-economic pressures are recognized risks to mental health for individuals and communities. The clearest evidence is associated with indicators of poverty, including low levels of education.

Poor mental health is also associated with rapid social change, stressful work conditions, gender discrimination, social exclusion, unhealthy lifestyle, risks of violence and physical ill-health and human rights violations.

Mental and behavioural disorders are estimated to account for 13% of the global burden of diseases. One in ten people across the globe is affected by mental disorders. An estimated one in four people globally will experience a mental condition in their lifetime.

Mental disorders contribute to a significant proportion of disability-adjusted life years and year lived with disability. Even though mental disorders can be managed effectively with medication and psychosocial interventions, only a small proportion 15% of patients with mental disorders receive even the most basic treatment that helps avoid chronic disability or premature deaths.

Mental health has been a cause for concern in Sri Lanka for some time. The country has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, with an average of 6000 deaths per year; nearly 100,000 people will attempt suicide every year in Sri Lanka. In addition to the mental health problems typically reported in a stable environment, the prevalence of mental illness in the country is further compounded not only by the conflict but also by the devastating effects of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

All of these factors would undeniably have caused intense stress for the people of Sri Lanka, increasing their risk of mental trauma.

30% of the people in Sri Lanka suffer from various mental disorders. At least 18% children in the country are suffering from depression or similar mental disorders. One in five children is suffering from depression due to various personal and social problems at home or in the society. One child is admitted to the National Institute of Mental Health every week. Children from age ten could suffer from depression.

As with any conflict, there is always considerable concern about children of the war and its effect on future generations. “Children are the most vulnerable of all in conflict and post-conflict situations”, “Many children in these situations have only known conflict, have only known fighting, fleeing from place to place to escape the violence, and living in temporary camp locations. The physical and mental toll on young people trapped in conflicts is incalculable”.

Depressed children show unusual behaviour: don't attend their school or homework efficiently like earlier.

They are also reluctant to get involved in sports activities. The behaviour of fathers after excessive consumption of liquor and mothers going overseas for employment leaving children alone at home are the main reasons for children to get depressed.

There is only one psychiatrist for every 500,000 people in Sri Lanka, and most of these experts are concentrated in urban areas, leaving war-torn areas such as the northeast of the country that is most in need of mental healthcare, without adequate facilities.

Another key challenge in mental healthcare in Sri Lanka is the lack of trained staff within the health system, particularly in terms of healthcare staff not understanding and recognizing mental illness and disorders. Not only are there limitation in mental health facilities and trained experts in rural parts of Sri Lanka, but there has always been somewhat of a cultural issue with mental health in the country. Mental health is not openly discussed in Sri Lanka. This is linked to cultural taboos. “Stigma attached to mental disorders from a social and cultural perspective in both the Sinhalese and Tamil communities contributes significantly to the problem.”

World Mental Health Day that is observed on tenth, October raises public awareness about mental health issues. The day promotes open discussion of mental disorders and investments in prevention, promotion and treatment services. This year theme for the day is “Depression: A global crisis”.

Depression affects more than 350 million people of all ages, and the significant contributor to the global burden of disease.

Although there are known effective treatment for depression, access to treatment is a problem in most countries including Sri Lanka and in some countries fewer than 10% of those who need it receive such treatment.

Mental disorders may be related to excessive stress due to a particular situation or series of events. As other diseases like cancer, diabetes and heart disease mental disorders are often physical as well as emotional and psychological. Mental disorders may be caused by a reaction to environmental stresses, genetics factors, biochemical imbalances or combination of these. With proper care and treatment many individuals learn to cope or recover from a mental illness or emotional disorder.

Anxiety disorders are the most commmon group of mental illnesses. The sufferer has a severe fear or anxiety which is linked to certain objects or situations. Most people with an anxiety disorder will try to avoid exposure to whatever triggers their anxiety. Other mental illnesses include, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression.

Symptoms

Depression can be difficult to detect from the outside looking in, but for those who experience major depression, it is disruptive in a multitude of ways. The symptoms of clinical depression usually represent a significant change in how a person functions. The following are key areas where depression causes major changes in people. Changes in sleep and appetite, poor concentration, loss of energy, lack of interest, low self-esteem, hopelessness and movement changes.

Causes

The general scientific understanding is that depression does not have a single cause; it arises from multiple factors that may need to occur simultaneously. A person's life experience, genetic inheritance, age, sex, brain chemistry imbalance, hormone changes, substance abuse and other illnesses all play significant roles in the development of a depression. It also may be that there is no observable trigger leading to the illness; depression may occur spontaneously and be unassociated with any life crisis, physical illness or other currently known risks.

The occurrence of mood disorders and suicides tend to run in families. A biologically inherited tendency to develop depression is associated with a younger age of depression onset, and that new onset depression occurring after age 60 is less likely due to genetic predisposition.

Life factors seem to influence whether an inherited, genetic tendency will ever lead to an episode of major depression.

Certain aspects of life, such as marital status, financial standing and where a person lives, do have some bearing on whether someone develops depression. For instance, though depression is more common among people who are homeless, it may be that depression strongly influences why any given person becomes homeless.

To be continued