More than 80 per cent of people suffering from some or the other mental illnesses do not seek treatment, Director of Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP) Dr D Ram said on Saturday, highlighting the stigma and lack of awareness related to mental health in the Indian society. Most of the patients do not even know that they are suffering from a mental illness and choose to keep it a secret either out of shame or the fear of social isolation and prejudices, he added.
“Over 80 per cent people suffering from mental disorders do not consult a doctor or a psychotherapist. Most of them do not even share their problems with friends or family and choose to suffer in silence,” said Dr Ram, adding that the deep-embedded belief among many people of avoiding any discussion about how they feel mentally was the greatest challenge in addressing mental health issues in India.
Depression, the most common form of mental illness that is said to be widespread in the urban society, has affected people from different age groups across the country, say doctors and researchers. While lack of awareness and poor education are among the major reasons that keep patients from seeking medical assistance, even many educated and aware residents of urban India do not share about their mental health concerns as they equate their condition with weakness and lack the courage to accept the fact that they need help, say doctors from leading psychiatry institutes.
“We often see that the ones who are in need of help are also the ones who defend themselves most aggressively when people ask them to seek help,” said Dr. Christoday Khess, senior doctor at CIP. Patients often distance themselves from their loved ones, avoid socializing and some even get overly-involved in their profession in an effort to paint a picture that proves that they are overworked and not depressed.
“Workaholics, who cut off from other aspects of their lives and try their level best to prove that they are only concerned about their profession, might be suffering from depression,” said Dr. Siddharth Sinha from Ranchi Institute of Neuro-Psychiatry and Allied Sciences (RINPAS). “They start finding purpose in their professional challenges and create new challenges when their work is done. They usually get stuck in this vicious cycle, where there is no purpose left in their life other than overcoming professional challenges,” he added.
According to a study conducted by World Health Organisation (WHO), at least 6.5 per cent of the Indian population suffers from some form of serious mental disorders, with no discernible rural-urban differences. Though there are effective measures and treatments, there is an extreme shortage of mental health workers like psychologists, psychiatrists, and doctors. As reported latest in 2014, it was as low as ''one in 100,000 people'', says a leading Indian news portal.