Bhubaneswar: The importance of World Mental Health Day (WMHD) is underscored by the growing recognition of the profound impact mental health has on individuals, families, and communities. The suicide rate among the students in Odisha has increased by 58 per cent from 2021 to 2023. According to the state government, the number of students’ suicide cases has increased from 119 in 2021, to 173 in 2022, and to 189 in 2023. The state has witnessed more cases among girl students than boys during the period.
Altogether, 218 boys died by suicide in the last three years, while the number was 263 for girl students. The state Health Department has circulated the free helpline number to various institutions to prevent such incidents. Taking a step further, the Health and Family Welfare Department is going to operationalise telemental health assistance and networking across state (Tele MANAS) in the state. Currently, the state has one Tele MANAS centre each in Cuttack and Berhampur and both are operational on a daily basis. SCB Medical College and Hospital (SCBMCH) Department of Psychiatry assistant professor and incharge of Tele Manas Cell, Cuttack Dr Pallabi Sahu said, “Every week we receive around 1,000 distress calls, attended by our trained counsellers, who talk with them and try to help them or connect them with experts. We also have one clinical psychologist and psychiatrist social worker in Cuttack cell.”
Speaking about the significance of the day, Psychiatrist Amrit Pattojoshi said, “Mental health problems can have a wide range of causes. It is likely that for many people there is a complicated combination of factors, although different people may get deeply affected by certain things than others.” “Array of factors could potentially result in a period of poor mental health. Childhood abuse, trauma and neglect may give rise to irritable behaviour and low self-worth, whereas social isolation or loneliness, discrimination and stigma, social disadvantage, poverty or debt may result in depression, anxiety or substance abuse,” he added. “Losing someone, long-term stress, including health conditions and unemployment may also lead to poor mental health. Significant trauma, mental, physical, or neurological causes like epilepsy may manifest psychiatric symptoms.
In children, speech delay, developmental delay and school failure are most common parental concerns, whereas self-reported mental and subjective health complaints such as pain, sleep issues, anxiety, relationship issues and various stress-related problems seem to have increased over time among older adolescents, especially girls,” he further stressed.
ARINDAM GANGULY, OP