Cases of mental illness rising in State: Prof Shantibala
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 01 2025: The prevalence of mental illness in Manipur has risen, especially after the May 3, 2023 violence, and this calls for a proper State mental health improvement policy, said Professor K Shantibala, Head of Department of Psychiatry, JNIMS.

She said this at "MANIPSYCON 2025", organised at JNIMS celebrating Indian Psychiatric Society, Manipur State Branch's 25th anniversary.

The conference was organised under the theme "The Future of Psychiatry: Psychiatry in a Changing World" .

Professor K Shantibala, who is also the president of the Indian Psychiatric Society, Manipur State Branch, said mental illnesses are a global health issue and their prevalence has increased.

She said several factors cause mental illness including complexities of life, modernisation, changing lifestyle, environment and climate change and natural disasters etc.

The world is ever changing, and there is increased stress among people in work and life.

Students feel pressure in their academic pursuit and during examinations.

Increasing stress raises risk of suffering mental health disorders, she said.

Prevalence of mental illness or disorders has increased in Manipur due to socio-economic conditions of the people, especially after the violent conflict started on May 3, 2023, she said.

Many people have lost their homes and loved ones to the conflict, and they have suffered from severe mental trauma.

They are experiencing anxiety and depression.

Cases of mental illness have increased among people staying in relief camps, Shantibala said.

To address the increasing cases of mental illness, Manipur needs more psychiatry doctors, and a proper State policy.

Psychiatry doctors too must adapt to the changing environment and use new technology for better diagnosis and treatment of evolving symptoms of mental illnesses, she said.

JNIMS Director Professor L Usharani Devi, JNIMS Medical Superintendent Professor Kh Lokeshwar and former Head of Department of Psychiatry (RIMS and JNIMS) Professor S Gyaneshwar Sharma, many doctors and nurses attended the conference.

MANIPSYCON was first organised in 2000 .

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