ROLE OF SARACA ASOCA LINN. IN MENTAL HYGIENE - AN LITERARY REVIEW

Mental health is an integral & essential component of health. The WHO constitution states: "Health is a state of complete physical, mental & social well-being & not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." An important implication of this definition is that mental health is more than just the absence of mental disorders or disabilities. Mental health & mental illness are two continuous concepts. People with optimal mental health can also have mental illness & people who have no mental illness can also have poor mental health. Mental hygiene is "the art of preserving the mind against all incidents & influences calculated to deteriorate its qualities, impair its energies, or derange its movements". By Sanskrit literature, Ashoka translates to grief less or no trouble, a word which denotes assurance & confidence. Being unparalleled in the management of gynaecological problems, Ashoka has been a woman's friend since ages. This sacred plant has a vast arena in aspects of mental hygiene of which yet has been unexplored to its potentials. Hereby we have tried to explore potentials of Stripriya Ashoka & mental health by critical review.