Mental health disorders remain one of the hidden disease burdens in India owing to stigma and discrimination, says C.R. Radhakrishnan, former president of the Indian Psychiatric Society.
Dr. Radhakrishnan was addressing a seminar on ‘Stigma reduction in mental illness’, organised by the Department of Psychiatry at MGM Muthoot College of Nursing in Kozhencherry on Thursday.
According to him, we have to bring about a shift in our attitude and develop a more open mindset on mental health. Dr. Radhakrishnan said the stigma associated with mental illness could be considered as a major public health problem, considering its negative impact on treatment-seeking, adherence and effectiveness. Stigmatisation of patients suffering from mental disorders implied their negative labelling and marginalisation, he said.
Dr. Radhakrishnan said the most common prejudice related to patients with mental disorders was that the disease was incurable. It was unfortunate that these patients were also portrayed as dangerous with unpredictable behaviour, he said.
Dr. Radhakrishnan said educating society to think and act on stigma reduction in mental illness was the need of the hour.
Jins Mathew, clinical psychologist; V.K. Radhakrishnan, senior consultant of Psychiatry; Jayaprakash, Professor of Psychiatry at Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram; Beena Mathew Bhasan, nursing college Principal; Sindhu Abraham, vice-principal, and Nimmy Koshy, senior medical social worker, spoke.
An interactive session at which the experts replied to various questions raised by the helpers of patients and others was also held.
