A study has noted the lack of awareness surrounding mental health issues and emphasised the urgent need for renewed efforts to de-stigmatise mental healthcare to restore dignity of millions of people living with psychiatric disorders and facilitate access to their treatment.
There is an acute misconception about prevalence of mental illnesses, revealed the study done by Cosmos Institute of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences (CIMBS) that conducted a voluntary survey on about 529 subjects from the general public from across Delhi NCR, from age groups ranging from 18 years to 62 years.
Dr Sunil Mittal, Senior Psychiatrist and director of CIMBS said even in metro cities, less than half of the people are impacted by psychiatric disorders receive adequate treatment. Mental illness continues to be shrouded in an air of secrecy and guilt.
“Eighty per cent opined that bias and stigma were the leading causes that prevented people from seeking any treatment. 85 per cent thought mental illness was made worse by stigma,” said Dr Shobhana, Consultant Psychiatrist at CIMBS.
“Eighty nine per cent said people with mental illness were more prone to ridicule, discrimination and being looked down upon and 63 per cent felt mental illness made it difficult to lead a life of dignity.”
“Fifty eight per cent participants knew of someone in their personal or professional life, with a psychiatric or a psychological health issue. Of them, over 70 per cent felt that such person was not taking adequate medical treatment,” noted the study.
“Overall, 39 per cent knew someone who had hidden their illness from their spouse before marriage, and 53 per cent had prevented disclosure of such information to their employers,” mentioned the study.
“At times, people living with psychiatric disorders hesitate to disclose their condition to their spouse or at workplace, often leading to mistrust in relationships and missing out on support from those around them. Fighting stigma can help restore dignity of people suffering from psychiatric disorders, enabling them to reach out and find support” said Dr Shobhana.