“We all know that human rights cannot just be transplanted as external principles into individuals or their communities. Human rights principles must be internalized by each individual, women and men, and must be absorbed and expressed in their own ways and within the positive aspects of their cultural values and beliefs.”
—UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya A. Obaid
Aristotle once said that men are social beings, they live in a state of co-dependence and they can only thrive in environments that are based on mutual support of their community members. Hence, social inclusion is a human right inherent to all individuals.
However, despite it being vested in an individual, exclusion is a commonplace occurrence for those who do not fall into the conventional mainstream meaning of ‘normal’ and are suffering from some kind of physical or mental disabilities. Historical and anthropological studies reveal that exclusion of the disabled persons from the mainstream society has assumed diverse forms through time and civilizations.
People with Mental Illnesses (PMIs’), across the globe have to face stigma, discrimination, and social exclusion which manifests itself in a multitude of ways.
It is a general notion across societies and civilizations that PMIs are some kind of mad persons who are unpredictable and with lower intellectual capacity and thus dangerous to the peace and order of the society .
Such stigmatizing beliefs result in many PMIs being excluded from normal activities and productive opportunities that are generally available to everyone else. This makes them weak because a person who fits into the conventional meaning of ‘normalcy’ may be preferred over him for the same kind of job or position that the two of them are equally qualified for, thus resulting in economic exclusion . Moreover, they are also denied legal rights to vote, marry, and participate fully in public affairs or own land or enter into contracts in their own name, thus leading to political and legal exclusion . Along with this, being pushed to the margins of the society and excluded from socio-cultural affairs of the community, such as participating in festivals, is a form of sociocultural exclusion, resulting is low self-esteem and low standards of living .
Mental illness and social isolation have been shown by studies to be linked to premature death via direct and indirect pathways of chronic disease and lifestyle factors . The taboo and prejudice attached to mental health also results in hindered access to mental health care and treatment facilities and also impedes persons from seeking help from a mental health professional to support their journey to recovery and better living situations.
Such exclusion was founded on the fact that since their behaviour and needs were peculiar and distinct from what the restore the society thought of as ‘normal’, no one could really gauge on methods and manner in which their specific needs could be catered to and how their behaviours could be utilized for the benefit of the society. Survival of the fittest had emerged as one of the most popular notions and in the race to climb the ladder of success, the ‘labour’ or ‘productivity’ of any person had become the most valuable asset or resource.
It is only until recently that Human Rights advocacy has come to accept the fact that by excluding the physically or mentally impaired persons, they are bearing a huge opportunity cost because despite of their disablement, they may be able to contribute to the society’s benefit in their own ways and hence they must think of ways to actualize their potential for overall social, economic, and political benefit.
Hence, legislators, policy makers, and others have concerned themselves with rethinking and reconceptualizing the concept of ‘productive citizenship’ and find creative ways for the persons with disabilities to contribute productively in the society. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which came into operation in 2006 unequivocally expresses that more access to education, life-skill training and support during decision-making is required so as to ensure that disabled people have opportunities to contribute valuably and resourcefully in the society.
With the adoption of the UNCRPD, many other governments across the globe have started making special efforts in recognizing the rights of the physically and mentally disabled and have made legislations in order to make historically excluded section of the society feel welcomed, included, and intertwined with the mainstream society.
The World Mental Health Day that falls on 10 October every year marks an occasion when legislators, policy holders, and other members of the society get a chance to reflect back on the progress that has been made in this movement, and reassessing the roadblocks and thereby channelising the way forward.
This year’s theme ‘MENTAL HEALTH IN AN UNEQUAL WORLD’ looks at how Mental Health is becoming relevant in the present society, especially in a world that is still recovering from the staggering effects of the global pandemic. It recognizes that in a world that is characterized by inequalities and stratification on the basis social access and opportunities, ‘mental health’ will grow and manifest itself in complicated ways. However, it acknowledges and celebrates the fact that there has been some positive progress in this field with the combined efforts of mental health workers, psychologists, legislators, and the common public.
On this marked occasion, while acknowledging this movement towards social exclusion, I request all readers to reflect and introspect within themselves and ask themselves some pertinent questions:
“How Mental Health has become relevant to you in the recent years?”
“What efforts have you made towards bettering your own mental health?”
“How much progress have your made to make your environment and workplace a ‘MENTAL HEALTH SAFE’ place?”