World Mental Health Day observed
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 10 2017:
The World Mental Health Day 2017 with the theme ‘Mental Health in Workplace’ was organised by Existence Halfway Home for Mentally ill persons under Centre for Mental Hygiene at Changangei Uchekon Airport Road .
The function was attended by Th Dilipkumar, Deputy Director, Social Welfare Department as the chief guest, Dr Th Bihari Singh, Professor, Dept of Psychiatry, RIMS, Dr Angomcha, State Nodal Officer, District Mental Programme, Govt of Manipur, Hijam Priyo Singh, Vice President CADA as the guests of honour and Ch Pishakmacha Devi, secretary, Centre for Mental Hygiene as the president .
Chief guest of the function, Deputy Director of Social Welfare Department (Disability) Th Dilipkumar said treatment of mental illness is possible but how far will it be successful depends on factors such as social environment, psycho social rehabilitation, families and awareness.
There has been a sea change in the outlook of the public.
He also said that the Department of Social Welfare under CM Biren has taken up many suggestions to improve the welfare of people living with disabilities specially mentally ill persons and many new schemes will be brought up which will be beneficial for all .
|
Dr Th Bihari Singh, Professor, Dept of Psychiatry, RIMS said that mental illness will be leading cause of disability in the world by 2020 and that there should be a concerted effort to tackle the various forms of mental illness and that raising awareness to stop stigma and discrimination will go a long way in combating mental illness .
He also praised the organisation and professional social workers for their role in treating mental illness and now there is a big difference from the past where people use to look down upon a person suffering from mental illness.
Now people have started to come forward and seek treatment but there is still a long way to go and appealed to everyone to understand and know that mental illness is indeed treatable .
Dr Angomcha, State Nodal Officer, District Mental Programme, who himself has been involved with mental health programme in the State for a long time also said that in a survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare 20 out of 100 people in Manipur suffer from some form of Mental illness which is quite alarming and that this ratio, he feels, is much more than the National average .
The main objective should be early detection and timely treatment.
Only a privilege few specially from Imphal get easy access to treatment.
He also said that treatment of mental illness needs a holistic approach, it’s a teamwork wherein all the family members of the affected person needs to get involved.
Likewise, Mental illness should not only be treated by a psychiatrist, they need psychiatric social workers who play a very important role in giving various therapies like individual and group counselling etc and rehabilitation part should be given importance too and that’s where halfway homes like Existence under Centre for Mental Hygiene and the sad part is that there are only a few of halfway homes in Manipur.
Moreover people should do away with the negative attitude and mentality, he said .
Hijam Priyo Singh, vice president of CADA said that intoxicants and abuse of substance are a leading cause of mental illness and the responsibility of parents and family is very important.
Many a times the root cause lies in the family where the father comes home intoxicated and rather than setting examples for the children and this leaves a bad precedent.