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House-to-house survey on mental illness in Bengal soon
With the spurt in mental illness, state-run Institute of Psychiatry will conduct a house-to-house study to find out psychiatry morbidity in Bengal. The study is the first of its kind since 1960s.
With the spurt in mental illness, state-run Institute of Psychiatry will conduct a house-to-house study to find out psychiatry morbidity in Bengal. The study is the first of its kind since 1960s.
There has been a sharp increase in the number of mental illness cases in the city owing to changes in socio-economic condition. Mood disorders among a section of adolescent boys and girls seem to be a common trend, some experts in psychiatry felt.
“We have already submitted a project report in connection with the study to the state health department seeking its approval. The project cost will be around Rs 2 lakh,” Dr Pradip Saha, director cum superintendent of the Institute of Psychiatry, told. “The study will help the government chalk out a plan on how to manage people with mental illness. Our study will be the first-of-its-kind in the state,” Saha added.
The study will also focus on psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. At least one 1% of global population is schizophrenic and 25% of female population have depressions or mood disorders.
According to the WHO, depression is a global threat and leads to diabetes, heart problems and other ailments.
Faculty members of the institute said that different groups led by one or two psychiatrists would visit each house and take the clinical and psychological history of every family member. The institute will also conduct several other studies on mood disorders among the young generation and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
A senior official of the state medical education service at Swasthya Bhavan said the psychiatry institute has submitted a project report. “We will send the proposal to the chief minister who heads the health department. After getting her opinion, we will send the matter to the finance department for funds,” the official said.
