Evaluating Awareness of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 among Young in Pune

Abstract

Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in. Mental health is a basic human right. And it is crucial to personal, community and socio-economic development. The present study was undertaken with main objective to measure the general awareness of youth about the mental health care act, 2017. Researcher collected primary data from college students from different institutions throughout the city Pune city. Researcher used a descriptive and quantitative research design. Total 60 respondents were selected for the present study and the data collected were processed using the SPSS software. Based on the data the findings indicate that majority of respondents are aware of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, a significant proportion lack adequate knowledge about its provisions, and only a few possess a comprehensive understanding. The data also reveal that most respondents consider it very important to include mental health education in the curriculum of all educational institutions. Therefore, the present study suggests that the integration of mental health education into academic curricula, along with awareness campaigns and outreach programs, is essential for improving the mental health conditions of youth in Pune.