India, Nov. 3 -- Waiting for a heart attack to begin discussing cardiovascular health is not only foolish but can also be fatal. Even so, conversations about mental health and wellbeing often begin only when someone is no longer able to cope and reaches breaking point. And till that point is reached, the individual may have spent months or even years struggling quietly, while those around mistook exhaustion for commitment, withdrawal for disinterest, or distress for a temporary phase.

Mental health belongs in everyday discussions about how we live and work and not in hushed conversations hidden from the world. And they must receive the same legitimacy as that accorded to physical health.

Prevention cannot eliminate every mental health c...