Mental health issues on rise, over 1,300 seek Maharashtra govt's help

 

Amid the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, more than 1,300 people battling mental stress and depression have approached the Maharashtra government with requests for medical help.

Amid the coronavirus-enforced lockdown, more than 1,300 people battling mental stress and depression have approached the Maharashtra government with requests for medical help, a state health official said.
Private doctors also claimed that the number of people suffering from depression, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and phobia of stepping out of home has significantly increased in the last few months.

"Out of the 36 districts in Maharashtra, 30 have reported 1,302 cases of people seeking help of psychiatrists," a senior official from the state health department told PTI.

Some of them suffered from violent behaviour, like attempt to self-immolate, self-harm and outburst as a result of prolonged depression, she said.

"The data is still being compiled as some of the districts are yet to report cases. The numbers could be much higher than the currently reported 1,302 cases," she said.

Noted psychiatrist Anand Nadkarni said before March this year (prior to the outbreak of COVID-19), he used to get six to seven cases of OCD daily, but now the number has gone up to 32 to 36 every day.

"Most of the people do not admit OCD as an illness and thus, its impact remains for a longer time on their life. Unfortunately, there is a dearth of psychiatrists in the overall health sector field," he said.

In some cases, there has also been a significant increase in alcohol consumption, Nadkarni said.

"Liquor consumption has reduced among students, as most of them have returned home, but it is higher among the middle-aged working class. Increased liquor consumption makes them weaker and more susceptible to the coronavirus infection," he said.