Speakers at a webinar have stressed the need for raising people’s awareness about mental health and increasing allocation for it in the national budget. The ACTIONISTS organized the webinar on the occasion of World Mental Health Day. Psychologist Mehtab Khanam said inequality is increasing day by day and economic inequality in particular is becoming more obvious having impact on mental health. Read:Protecting Your Child’s Mental Health: 10 Tips for Parents "And there is a deep connection between this inequality and mental health. Having good mental health means that a person does not stumble in life," said the Professor at the Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, Dhaka University. It is imperative to increase the allocation for mental health in the national budget, said Mehtab Khanam. Sabina Fayez Rashid, Professor, Dean of James P. Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University; Samanjar Chowdhury, Operations Lead of BRAC Youth Platform, BRAC, Fairuz Faiza Bithar, Co-Founder of Moner School and founder of ACTIONISTS A.N.M Fakhrul Amin Forhad also spoke at the webinar conducted by Sharin Shahjahan Naomi, Assistant Professor, Asian University for Women. Professor Sabina Fayez Rashid said policies and interventions are needed because mental health issues are still neglected. "Different communities, young people, government, NGOs and many such organizations are working but there should be more and more discussions on this issue," she said. Fairooz Faizah Bitheer said mental health awareness should start at an early age. "Policy makers need to raise their voices on this issue as well. Mental health should not be neglected but should be seen as a priority." Samanjar Chowdhury said ensuring good mental health involves good governance and leadership from the lowest to the highest level. "Everyone must come forward to make everyone aware of this, from teenagers to young people." Read:World Mental Health Day: What effect does depression have on the performance of athletes? Quoting recent statistics, ACTIONISTS said 85 percent of people in low- and middle-income countries suffer from a variety of mental and neurological disorders, while about 92 percent are denied access to health care. In addition, the Corona epidemic has created financial, social, and political inequalities around the world, with the rich gaining more and more wealth, and the poor falling below the poverty line. As a result of this inequality, the mental health of the people has deteriorated even more. Bangladesh has a nominal 0.44 percent of the total health budget allocation for mental health, which is set aside for most mental hospitals but is not implemented properly, said ACTIONISTS.

Anxiety has a massive psychological impact and mental health issues have become a frequently discussed topic in sports. Depression is a mental illness that is impacting an increasing number of athletes. This is related to a variety of clinical issues. Players with mental health issues experience depression and long-term sadness, both of which can have a negative impact on their performance. The main theme of World Mental Health Day 2021 as well as the impact of depression in sports are discussed in this article. What is World Mental Health Day's Purpose? World Mental Health Day is commemorated every year on October 10 with the purpose of raising awareness and disseminating knowledge about anxiety and depression throughout the world.  This day should be taken as an opportunity to raise awareness about mental health and educate people all around the world, particularly those who are depressed. READ: Mental Health: Types of Mental Illness and supporting someone with a mental health problem Depression is a prevalent mental health ailment, and those who suffer from it are at risk of dying young. Mental health should be a concern for everyone, especially in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. World Mental Health Day was first celebrated in the year 1992, by the World Federation for Mental Health. The goal of the day was to encourage mental health advocacy and educate the public on pertinent problems. Given the campaign's popularity, a subject for the day was chosen for the first time in 1994. This year's (World Mental Health Day 2021) theme is "Mental health care for all: let's make it a reality,"

Proper counseling and treatment can cure mental problems completely like other physical problems. Since mental health complications are not like physical pain, many do not understand when they should actually seek mental health support. Moreover, family or social taboos also stand in the way. With that not, World Mental Health 2021 is going to observe on October 10 with the theme, 'Mental health in an unequal world.' So, when should a person seek help for mental problems? And how to support people with mental health problems? We will get to know about mental health support in this article. What is a mental health problem? The actual definition of mental illness varies according to country, culture, and people. Hence, there is no unified definition of mental health problems. However, some common words are used to indicate mental illness. For example, psychological problems, mental health, headache, etc., are used to indicate mental illness. Read: Memory loss: Types, symptoms, and when to seek help How to understand if anyone is suffering from mental illness? When a person's behavior changes drastically, especially the emotional expression changes, which starts to affect the daily activities, in such cases, one should understand that the person is not mentally stable. Apart from these symptoms, there are some specific issues that may indicate a mental health problem. Usually, people with mental illness suddenly become excited. People are also seen keeping themselves away from everyone for a long time. Staying upset for more than two weeks in a row can be a sign of mental health problems. Quarrels with everyone and don't want to talk to anyone can be the symptoms too. Other symptoms are hearing some irrelevant sounds, unnecessarily doubting, not taking care by stopping doing regular daily activities like bathing or brushing teeth, and dissatisfaction and loss of interest in the activities that bring happiness. Sometimes, people stop themselves from making any sort of social relationships, thinking negatively about themselves or feeling responsible for everything, decisiveness or loss of concentration, and plan suicidal thoughts and attempts. Read: Covid-19 Brain Fog: How to improve memory power and brain health after Covid In some cases, sleep may be reduced abnormally or increase, feel an aversion to food or increased appetite and loss of interest in home, office, or professional work. However, these problems do not mean that the person has a mental illness. But if anyone has these signs or symptoms, the person should talk to a psychiatrist. After that, the doctor can analyze it and understand whether any action should be taken.

Countries across the world, including Bangladesh, will observe World Mental Health Day Sunday, at a time when there has been a "worldwide failure to provide people with the mental health services they need as the Covid-19 pandemic is highlighting a growing need for mental health support." The day is observed every year on October 10 across the world for raising awareness about mental health. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages on the eve of World Mental Health Day 2021 whose theme is "Mental Health in an Unequal World." "Mental health problems have significantly increased due to the Covid-19 pandemic," President Hamid said. He stressed the need for family and social support for patients with mental health issues along with treatment. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the development of mental health alongside physical health is vital for building a happy and prosperous nation. She directed the concerned authorities to work in a way that mental health services can be brought to the doorsteps of people. Read: World misses most 2020 mental health targets: WHO

The world leaders and internationally-recognized celebrities and mental health advocates will come together for the World Health Organization’s "Big Event" for mental health marking the World Mental Health Day that falls on October 10.

A virtual discussion programme was held Saturday night over mental health complications of students pursuing higher education and research abroad.