LIBERAL STUDIES Vol. 4, Issue 2, July–December 2019 INTERNATIONAL ADVISORS Bill Damachis, University of Wollongong, Australia Prof Charls Hanon, Associate Dean of Faculty, Washington & Jefferson College, USA Jim Cross, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia Prof. Kalpana Misra, Associate Dean, Henry Kendall College of Arts & Science, University of Tulsa Prof. Michael Burns, Manager of International Partnerships, Memorial University, Canada Michel Krepon, Co-Founder of Stimson Centre, Washington DC, USA Prof. Rupendra Paliwal, Provost, Sacred Heart University, USA Prof. Tony Simoes da Silva, Head of School of Humanities, University of Tasmania Prof. Vijay Modi, Columbia University, USA Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU) PDPU has been promoted by partnership of Government, industry and energy to create a world class University in energy education and research with special focus on the oil and gas sector. The university has further expanded its programs to address the need for trained human resource in the domains of engineering, management and humanities. It intends to broaden the opportunities for students and professionals to develop core subject knowledge which are duly complemented by leadership training interventions, thereby helping the students to make a mark in the global arena. This objective is being further addressed through a number of specialized and well-planned undergraduate, post-graduate and doctoral programs as well as intensive research projects. PDPU has been established by Gujarat Energy Resource Management Institute (GERMI) as a private university through the State Act enacted on 4 April 2007. School of Liberal Studies (SLS) PDPU has launched School of Liberal Studies which currently offers degree programs in UG, PG and Ph.D. that equips a student to develop an array of intellectual skills, a variety of methodologies and ways of understanding our changing world, and a broad base of varied knowledge. In turn, such a Liberal Education establishes an invaluable foundation for more specialized study in one’s major or in one of the professions, and for a life-long affinity for learning and continuing intellectual development. The course imparts classical education in various fields like art, literature, languages, music, dramatics, philosophy, politics, history, law, mathematics, science, business, commerce, communication and general studies. It emphasizes on the need to seek knowledge for promoting intellectual growth, creative expression and rational thought. Contents Experts Speak MENTAL HEALTH: CONCERNS, CHALLENGES & THE WAY FORWARD Banbehari Mukhopadhyay Yogic Sciences in Achieving Complete Mental Health ................................................. 147 D.M. Pestonjee, Taronish Pastakia Modern Social Life and Mental Health ........................................................................ 157 Gopa Bhardwaj Health Issues and Psychological Dispositions ............................................................. 169 Proshanto Kr. Saha Neuropsychology of Aggression and Mental Illness .................................................... 185 Articles Surya Narayan Misra Mahatma Gandhi: A Sesquicentennial Birthday Tribute ............................................. 203 Prashanta Chandra Panda Internet Citizens, Cashless Economy and Scope of Financial Inclusions ................... 209 Dinoj Kumar Upadhyay Iran Nuclear Deal: USA Stance and Role of Europe ................................................... 219 Soni Mittal Role of Personality on Adult Criminals Going through Imprisonment ....................... 229 Parisha Jijina Mental Health Concerns and Challenges in India: The Way Forward ....................... 239 142 Liberal Studies, Vol. 4, Issue 2, July–December 2019 Book Reviews Hitakshi Joshi Earning the Rockies: How Geography Shapes America’s Role in the World .............. 249 by Robert D. Kaplan Diksha Shrivastava Women in Indian Advertisements – Plots & Perspectives by Kisholoy Roy ............... 253 Pranshu Joshi How Many Countries Does the Indus Cross, by Akhil Katyal ..................................... 257 Experts Speak MENTAL HEALTH: CONCERNS, CHALLENGES & THE WAY FORWARD Concept Note “Mental illness is not a personal failure. In fact, if there is failure, it is to be found in the way we have responded to people with mental and brain disorders”, said Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland, Director-General of WHO, on releasing the World Health Report. One in four people in the world are affected by mental or neurological disorders at some point in their lives. Around 450 million people currently suffer from such conditions, placing mental disorders among the leading causes of ill- health and disability worldwide. Treatments are available, but nearly two- thirds of people with a known mental disorder never seek help from a health professional. Stigma, discrimination and neglect prevent care and treatment from reaching people with mental disorders, says the World Health Organization (WHO). Where there is neglect, there is little or no understanding. Where there is no understanding, there is neglect. 144 Liberal Studies, Vol. 4, Issue 2, July–December 2019 In a new report entitled “New Understanding, New Hope” the United Nations’ health agency seeks to break this vicious cycle and urges governments to seek solutions for mental health that are already available and affordable. Governments should move away from large mental institutions and towards community health care, and integrate mental health care into primary health care and the general health care system, says WHO. A lack of urgency, misinformation, and competing demands are blinding policy-makers from taking stock of a situation where mental disorders figure among the leading causes of disease and disability in the world, says WHO. Depressive disorders are already the fourth leading cause of the global disease burden. They are expected to rank second by 2020, behind ischaemic heart disease but ahead of all other diseases. The responsibility for action lies with governments, says WHO. Currently, more than 40 percent of countries have no mental health policy and over 30 percent have no mental health programme. Around 25 percent of countries have no mental health legislation. The magnitude of mental health burden is not matched by the size and effectiveness of the response it demands. Currently, more than 33 percent of countries allocate less than 1 percent of their total health budgets to mental health, with another 33 percent spending just 1 percent of their budgets on mental health. A limited range of medicines is sufficient to treat the majority of mental disorders. About 25 percent of countries, however, do not have the three most commonly prescribed drugs used to treat schizophrenia, depression and epilepsy at the primary health care level. As per WHO estimates (2001), “More than 40% of countries, covering about 65% of the world’s population, have access to less than one psychiatric bed per 10 000 population. Beds are particularly deficient in the African and South-East Asia Regions.” In India, WHO estimates that the burden of mental health problems is of the tune of 2,443 DALYs per 100,000 population, and the age-adjusted suicide rate per 100,000 population is 21.1. It is estimated that, in India, the economic loss, due to mental health conditions, during 2012-2030, would be approximately 1.03 trillion dollars. Mental health, like other aspects of health, can be affected by a range of socioeconomic factors that need to be addressed through comprehensive strategies for promotion, prevention, treatment and recovery through a holistic approach. Determinants of mental health and mental disorders include not only individual attributes such as the ability to manage one’s thoughts, emotions, Mental Health: Concerns, Challenges & The Way Forward 145 behaviours and interactions with others, but also social, cultural, economic, political and environmental factors such as national policies, social protection, living standards, working conditions, and community supports. Poverty and low education levels are the key amongst these factors. Quite a large range of psychological, personality and genetic factors contribute towards the vulnerability. Treatment of mental health disorders is of utmost importance. Policy makers should be encouraged to promote availability of and access to cost-effective treatment of common mental disorders at the primary health care level. The Liberal Studies journal invited five eminent experts in the domain to ponder over the mental health challenges and concerns in the contemporary times. Dr. B. Mukopadhyay discusses how the practices available in yogic sciences can preserve the mental health and can prevent from mental ailment along with its remedial measures. From the beginning of the last century research work on the psychology of the east created huge impact among the psychologists and the educationists of the west and they observed yogic sciences form the core of the eastern psychology. Dr. D.M. Pestonjee and Taronish Pastakia reflect upon inter-generational adjustment issues in the workplace. The modern world of work has to take into account factors like uncertainty, complexity, speed, technology, virtual- workspace, hyperspecialization, cultural diversity 146 Liberal Studies, Vol. 4, Issue 2, July–December 2019 and communication and also macro-level factors like gender-issues, work-life balance, the changing legal environment, social structure and support systems and mental health issues. Cutting-edge