By Sophia Paige-Brink
A little
girl was recently discovered in the forests of northern India - reportedly to
have lived with monkeys. A Jungle Book fantasy?
Don’t be quick to assume so.
Doctors found that she has mental and physical
disabilities. And officials believe, with most details of this situation, it’s
likely she was recently abandoned by caretakers. It’s a horrific story, yet, a
story not unique in a society ridden with taboo and stigma against mental
illness.
There’s
little data on mental illnesses and neurological disorders in South Asian
countries. South Asian culture is a culture that often prides itself with
perfection. Sons and daughters are raised accordingly to gender stereotypes -
men will be breadwinners and women will be submissive wives. Education, money,
and social power is prized. However, when sons or daughters fall into the
depths of depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum
disorder, and/or any other mental or neurological disorder - shame, shame, and
shame.
Mental
illness is a taboo subject in South Asian communities. It’s a social pressure
to conform to the standards of perfection. And mental illness is much more
“shameful” for a daughter than a son for parents fear her marriage prospects
are destroyed. South Asian children with mental illnesses are frequently abused
and neglected - sometimes chained and beaten, sometimes thrown out on the
streets. Even so, mental health stigma is not restricted only to lower-income
communities. Mental health stigma is inclusive of all class levels. People who
suffer from mental illnesses in upper-class societies are also abused and
neglected. And some people will commit self-injurious behaviors or suicide to
escape the social pressures of perfection.
What’s the
solution to combat such horrific practices? Education.
Village to village and city to city, parents must be educated on mental health
stigma and taboo. And intervention.
There is little to no mental health care in parts of the world where mental
health is so stigmatized.
This
little girl was very lucky to have been found alive. However, millions of
disabled children are lost, abused, and neglected around the world. When will
the stigma break?
Citation:
Safi, M. (2017, April 08). Indian girl found in
jungle was not living with monkeys, officials say. Retrieved April 08, 2017,
from
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/08/indian-girl-found-in-jungle-was-not-living-with-monkeys-officials-say
