Experts called “social barriers” to be major impediments in combating mental health disorders in the country saying most people never seek medical assistance for curable psychiatric problems.
“Many people have been suffering mental disorders in the country,” National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Director Professor Dr. M A Hamid told BSS in an interview coinciding with the World Mental Health Day.
He added: “But few of them receive the treatment as fears of social stigma bars others to be treated for their mental problems.”
The NIMH Psychiatrist Dr Ahsan Udiin Ahmed supplemented Hamid saying fears of social stigma, deprivation, discrimination, abuse and negligence even in their own families bar them from receiving treatment.
“They face barriers in every sphere of life,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed said despite access to standard medicine and proper treatment mental patients first went to traditional healers or just seek blessings of religious leaders.
“The lack of proper medical intervention in due time in most cases intensify their problems,” he said.
NIMH first carried out a nationwide survey on mental health in 2003-2005 which found 16.1 percent of the adult population was exposed to mental disorders of any form.
As far as women were concerned, the study said, the figure is 19 percent, meaning women were more exposed to psychiatric problems.
A subsequent survey conducted in 2009 by NIMH particularly among children and adolescents, found 18.4 percent under aged population were suffering from different sorts of mental disorder.
The official statistics suggests that in a country of nearly 16 crore population, the number of academically trained psychiatrists were little over 200 in Bangladesh while experts, however, suggest people in need could also seek psychologists assistance who could offer professional counseling.
World Health Organisation (WHO) this year selected the theme of the Day this year as “Dignity in mental health”.
According to a WHO statement the global health monitor would be raising awareness of what can be done to ensure that people with mental health conditions can continue to live with dignity.
