IOK hospitals witness 50,000 mental disorder cases in 6 months

Srinagar, October 15, 2018 (PPI-OT): In occupied Kashmir, to what extent India’s illegal occupation over Jammu and Kashmir is adversely affecting the mental health of Kashmir people can be gauged from an official report wherein it has been said that psychiatry hospitals in the valley have witnessed 50,000 mental disorder cases in the past 6 months.

The latest report released by Government Medical College Srinagar (GMC) on Sunday said, a total of 47,000 cases of mental illnesses which includes drug de-addiction cases were registered at Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience (IMHANS) and SMHS hospital drug de-addiction centre from April till September this year.

Head department of psychiatry, GMC Srinagar, Dr Mohammad Maqbool Dar said of the total figures 26, 336 cases of mental illnesses were witnessed in the OPD at IMHANS. “Among them, 1302 came for dug-addiction and at least 537 were seen in the inpatient department,” he said in a media interview.

Similarly, the drug de-addiction centre at SMHS hospital has seen 21, 518 cases of mental illnesses including 2000 cases of drug de-addiction and 220 admitted addiction cases. Dar said in addition at least 136 opioid users are being given Opioid Substitution Therapy (OST) – that requires a person undergoing de-addiction at SMHS hospital regularly.

The psychiatrist said drug addiction was a major cause of mental illness among youth in conflict torn valley adding that imbalances in neurotransmitters in the brain are also reasons. “In many cases, heads of families are drug abusers and their children imitate them. The social-political situation is also a reason behind the increase in mental disorders,” he said.

Over the upward trend, noted psychiatrist, Dr Arshad Hussain, a Professor at IMHANS said in most of the young patients’ substance abuse is a major cause for mental disorders. Experts say fear of crackdowns, raids and arrest of family members by Indian troops and paramilitary personnel are among the main causes of mental illness in the occupied territory.

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