Rising mental illness cases in Andhra Pradesh

Visakhapatnam, May 4 (UNI) As many as 2,900 mental illness cases were registered in the Government Hospital for Mental Care here in 2006, where as last year had seen only 2,530 cases.

According to the Government Hospital Superintendent G Bhagya Rao, most of the patients belonged to the age group between 20 and 30. The increasing level of stress was one of the most common factors for this phenomenon. Bio-chemical changes in the brain were triggered by stress, leading to abnormal behavioural tendencies, he added.

Dr Rao said "increased amount of stress also rise suicidal tendencies among the patients".

Apart from stress, psychological factors - presonality disorders and genetic parameters like hormonal and neuro transmitter imbalances were some of the other reasons behind mental illness.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had estimated that 121 million people were currently suffering from depression and it would become the second most common cause of disability by 2020.

Dr Rao said suicide - a preventable outcome of mental illness - required concerted and committed action by health professionals.

He said the WHO report suggested that one in every four families was currently suffering from a mental or behavioural disorder.

"The mental illness still remains deeply stigmatised. Continuous care and year-round medication is the need of the hour to reduce the rate of mental illness", said Clinical Psychologist Pragna Mitra.

In the absence of an effective health care system and proper medical assistance, invariably, the mentally ill would depend on family support, Dr Pragna added.

Dr Rao said "the family members of patients fail to realise that government mental care is just a health care centre and not an assylum".

UNI