More people in North Karnataka seek psychiatric treatment

HUBBALLI: People of North Karnataka, who were hesitant to meet psychiatrists for treating ailments like depression and stress, have now shed their inhibitions regarding taking treatment for such conditions.

People used to hesitate to see psychiatrists earlier, due to the social stigma attached with it. Thanks to awareness created by organizations like the Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) and the health department, people are now coming forward to seek the assistance of psychiatrists in treating different mental and psychological ailments.

KIMS has witnessed a 75.30% rise in the number of adult and adolescent patients seeking counselling as out patients and in patients, by experts between 2013-14 and 2016-17, say sources. Psychiatrists see this as a good sign, as those who need help can only be treated when they come forward.

KIMS, department of psychiatry,head, Dr Mahesh Desai, told STOI, "When a postgraduate department was started in the institution in 2013, we took up various community activities to create awareness in and around KIMS on mental health issues. In the first phase, we created awareness and focused on other departments at KIMS, where patients used to stop their follow-up treatment, or used to feel dissatisfaction even after proper treatment was administered. We convinced doctors of other departments to refer such patients.

We told them our treatment starts when their treatment stops." KIMS, department of psychiatry, associate professor, Dr Arun Kumar C, said the second phase of creating awareness on mental health issues was taken up at high schools and colleges in and around the city. "We sensitized teachers and faculty members to identify students suffering from minor or major psychological disorders, and to refer them to us. We found adolescents are suffering from many psychological disorders, albeit of a minor nature.

If they get proper counselling at the right time, they will definitely turn into better citizens to serve the nation," he added. KIMS assistant professor, Dr Sameer Belvi, said Mano Chaitanya, a programme of the health department, has been a good platform to create awareness among rural people on mental health issues. "One of our colleagues is visiting the Kundagol taluk hospital to counsel patients every Tuesday.

We are counselling the needy at Hebballi village on the first Monday of every month, in association with the Vivekanand Foundation, which provides medicines free of cost. Such initiatives are making the afflicted come forward to take psychiatric treatment," he said.

KIMS, psychiatry department, senior resident, Dr Shivanand Hiremath, said availability of medicines free of cost or at a nominal cost, is an added advantage for people to prefer taking treatment at KIMS. "Our director Dr D D Bant has been encouraging our activities to get closer to the people. Due to his efforts, our department is selected for scheme-B of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) of the Union government, under which we are getting one-time funds to the tune of Rs 90 lakh, to develop manpower in the department. Only inspection by NMHP officials is pending," he said.