“I used to enjoy my late evening walks in our locality — just me and my music, in a neighbourhood I’ve lived in for years. After seeing the video of a man assaulting a woman during her morning walk, I now think twice before stepping out alone. I hate feeling this fear,” says Gowri*, a theatre person.
“My daughter is a medical student. After the Kolkata incident, we started worrying and asking her questions like: Do you have a separate room to rest? Are there separate washrooms? We constantly remind her to be careful and not to be alone while at college,” says Rani*, a doctor.
“Negative news just doesn’t seem to stop, especially since the RJ Kar incident. It’s highly distressing. I’ve stopped watching the news and reading the newspapers,” says senior citizen Pushpa.
These are just some responses we received when we spoke to people about the general news environment and what we constantly see and hear around us. News coverage of the murder and rape of a young Kolkata doctor on duty in early August, and the hornet’s nest it has stirred in the medical system of the state, has been exhaustive and has jolted public conscience across the nation.
Shortly in its wake, we saw a spotlight on many instances of violence against women and children, such as sexual harassment in the Kerala film industry and school molestation cases. Social media and other channels are flooded with information on protests and crime statistics.
Read more: Schools and families both critical in mental health support for kids and teens
This is compounded by disturbing news on several other fronts: ongoing global conflicts, including wars in Ukraine and Gaza, restrictions on women’s freedom in Afghanistan, and conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence in Africa.
While the simmering rage and sense of helplessness that these news trigger are understandable, the deluge of negative information has led to a silent fallout — fear, increased anxiety, and mental health challenges.
News triggers anxiety among women
This overload of negative news is particularly triggering for women, making them feel insecure. No place seems safe, be it home, workplace or school.
Dr Rupa Agarwal, founder of Muktaa Charitable Foundation, states, “For any woman, any human being, to be treated thus (subjected to rape, violence and/or murdered) is a sad reflection on us as a society. The constant flow of news and conversation around such events affects people and disturbs them. Some may feel sad, while others may feel worried, anxious or scared. Repeated broadcasting and sharing of every detail about the Kolkata rape case across various media is bound to trigger various emotions. It is difficult to maintain one’s mental balance in such a scenario.”
Additionally, many people, who have experienced sexual assault, may carry the trauma of their experience within themselves for a long time.
According to Dr Rajani Parthasarathy, a Bangalore-based psychiatrist, around 30 in 100,000 people (these are reported numbers) experience some form of sexual harassment including unpleasant touch or inappropriate looks or speech. “Constant exposure to triggering information may force them to recollect the past and how they felt then or dealt with it. They contemplate whether they should talk to someone about it, while also worrying about the potential fallout and consequences of such a conversation.”
Often, family members may discourage victims from reporting abuse saying, ‘You can adjust, let it go. If you report the incidents, no one will marry you. Everyone will come to know.’ “They rarely get support,” says Dr Rajani.
Hearing news about similar incidents can trigger regret in survivors for not reporting the incident, leading to prolonged guilt. Incidents of sexual violence can also leave deep emotional scars and cause significant distress.
“If one is experiencing severe anxiety, is not able to sleep or eat properly, feels like crying (frequently), is going through PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) due to some traumatic event in the past which is showing up (again) now (due to the current scenario), is getting the same (negative / painful / harmful) thoughts again and again, is feeling guilty or is unable to bear the onslaught of such thoughts, such a person should meet and consult with a psychiatrist at the earliest,” she added.
Read: Kolkata: These communities have no access to mental health care even when they need it
Who is at risk of being adversely affected?
Dr Rupa points out that certain groups of people may be more vulnerable than others and may be adversely affected by negative news.
- Girls and women are particularly vulnerable. They may begin to fear that they, too, could be raped or experience a similar ordeal.
- Anyone, irrespective of sex, who has experienced any form of sexual harassment or violence. Such individuals may feel anxiety, restlessness, and fear after being exposed to news about crimes against women and children.
- Emotionally sensitive people also find it difficult to manage the impact of such news. They are not able to switch off from this subject easily and keep thinking about it.
Managing news flow and mental health
“There is a lot of negative news out there. But we also need to keep our mental health in balance. If the overflow of information is causing anxiety, we should take in limited information of this nature. We should be careful to differentiate between real and fake news.,” says Dr Rajani. Referring to constant and detailed coverage of the Kolkata incident, she advises against getting too deeply involved in the day-to-day happenings of the case. “Take heart in the fact that this matter is being looked into by the Supreme Court,” she says.
People react differently to negative news; some can handle ongoing information of this sort, while others cannot.
“Your mental well-being depends on your nature and the extent to which you can handle the onslaught of such news. You have control over the television remote and your social media channels. It is up to you to regulate your exposure,” adds Dr Rajani.
You can’t expect TV channels or newspapers to avoid publishing such news, nor can you control the number of people sending messages or forwards. While you can’t control others’ behaviour, you can control your own. You can choose to avoid seeing such news, switch off your mobile and detox for a couple of days. Decide what works best for you.”
Dr Rupa suggests asking yourself a few questions while consuming distressing content —
- Is this educating me?
- Is it giving me direction to take part in any social initiative such as signing a petition or joining a group to raise my voice against such acts?
“If the answer is yes to either of the above, one can go ahead. But if such news is causing fear and restlessness and negatively impacting how one views those around them, it’s important to become more self-aware. This indicates that things have exceeded one’s acceptance level in terms of mental health,” says Dr Rupa.
Talking about boundaries in this context, she elaborated: “Everyone is sharing information, including friends and work colleagues. When individuals feel that such news is impacting their mental health and thoughts, or they are unable to fulfil their duties and responsibilities as a result, they should start setting boundaries.”
Setting boundaries when news creates distress
- Understand your mind’s signals about news consumption, and inform people when you don’t wish to hear more.
- Turn off the TV when such news is broadcast
- Stop scrolling through such information on social media.
- Be selective about the information you take in. Verify the credibility of sources and cross check inputs before believing them. Consume only authentic information whenever possible.
Social responsibility towards mental health
“There are many misconceptions about mental health, and a lot of stigma and discrimination around seeking help,” warns Dr Rajani, “For example, limited awareness leads to misunderstanding certain behaviours in children, often resulting in them being labelled as short-tempered, lazy, dull, impulsive, irritated, unduly anxious, unable to handle stress, rebellious or moody. The underlying reasons behind these behaviours are rarely analysed.”
Anyone with a brain and a mind can develop a mental health problem. Stressing the need for early intervention, she adds, that just as we seek medical advice for a fever or cold, one should also seek appropriate advice for behaviour that might indicate mental health challenges. Any prolonged changes in a person’s mood, nature or behaviour, calls for a medical opinion. It is always better to prevent a disease before it manifests itself.
Both doctors also stressed on the fact that mental health helplines can be a source of immense support for people facing mental health issues in general, and specifically for those who do not wish to share their fears/concerns with known people.
Many of the helplines function 24×7 and never ask for a person’s identity or identifying factors like name, address etc. A caller can therefore share, without fear of prejudice, what they are going through when they hear or are inundated by such news, or the thoughts they get when their colleagues / family members speak about it, especially if the fear is turning into a kind of paranoia.
If you or someone you know is feeling anxious, distressed or thinking of self-harm, you can reach out to the following helplines for assistance:
- iCall: 9152987821
- Kiran: 1800-5990019
- Sneha Foundation (Chennai): 044 – 24640050
- Sahai (Bengaluru): 080-25497777
- Sanjivini Society for Mental Health (Delhi): 011-40769002, 011-41092787
- 011-24311918.
- Lifeline Foundation (Kolkata): 9088030303, 03340447437
- Tele MANAS:14416/1800-89-14416
- Muktha Mental Health Helpline: 0788-788-9882
- Parivarthan: 076766 02602