Chandigarh, September 17, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Mental health concerns are often dismissed as ordinary stress, overthinking or a difficult phase in life. However, when anxiety, fear, distress or physical symptoms become persistent and begin interfering with everyday functioning, they can indicate a clinically significant mental health condition.
Neurotic and stress-related disorders extend beyond routine stress and include anxiety disorders, phobic disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, reactions to severe stress and adjustment disorders.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is among the common psychiatric disorders globally, affecting around 5 per cent of people who meet diagnostic criteria. However, the actual burden may be higher, as stigma and barriers to accessing care prevent many people from seeking treatment.
Punjab’s Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) includes mental health under its Mental Disorders category. Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders are covered under the scheme as a Regular Procedure.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh said mental health treatment should not be delayed until families reach a financial or emotional breaking point.
He stressed that mental health must receive the same priority as physical health and that financial constraints should not prevent people from seeking professional care.
“Including mental-health treatment under Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana is intended to make care more accessible and encourage people to seek help earlier,” Dr Balbir Singh said.
Dr Gagandeep Sekhon, MD Psychiatry and Consultant Psychiatrist at Civil Hospital, Barnala, said mental health problems are frequently overlooked until they begin affecting a person’s ability to function in everyday life.
“Mental health concerns are often ignored until they begin to interfere with daily functioning, by which time they are harder to manage,” he said.
Dr Sekhon said the 18-45 age group deserves particular attention as people in this phase often deal simultaneously with career-building, relationships and financial responsibilities.
When the Mind Refuses to Switch Off
Dr Sekhon explained that stress can be understood as an alarm system that responds to danger and settles once the threat has passed. In stress-related disorders, however, that response can persist even after the immediate trigger has gone.
A person may experience persistent worry, fear, irritability, difficulty concentrating, disturbed sleep or a constant feeling of being on edge. Anxiety can also manifest physically through symptoms such as palpitations, sweating, trembling, nausea and muscle tension.
The World Health Organization has also noted that anxiety disorders can interfere with family life, education and work.
Another less-understood aspect of psychological distress is the emergence of physical symptoms. Dr Sekhon said somatoform disorders can involve persistent physical symptoms whose severity is not fully explained by medical investigations. These may include pain, heaviness or bloating.
Such symptoms should not simply be dismissed as being “all in the head”. The physical symptoms are real, and the relationship between psychological and physical health can be significant.
Stress-related problems can emerge following a major life event, such as bereavement, separation, illness or financial upheaval. They can also develop gradually when workplace pressure, family responsibilities, uncertainty and inadequate sleep accumulate over an extended period.
Making timely mental healthcare accessible can therefore play an important role in preventing distress from becoming more disruptive to daily life.
Under the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, eligible families can access covered mental-health treatment, helping reduce the financial burden that can otherwise become an additional source of stress.
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