The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : "Early diagnosis, education can help treat mental illness"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 24, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

"Early diagnosis, education can help treat mental illness"

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: Early identification of psychological problems and health education about the nature of illness for both patients and caregivers would facilitate faster rehabilitation in psychiatric illness.

Several caregivers learnt this at a discussion on care and rehabilitation in psychiatric illness organised by Young Women's Christian Association of Madras's Navajeevan Project on Saturday.

Dr. Vijaya, deputy superintendent, Institute of Mental Health, said lack of knowledge about the illness and extreme tolerance among family members lead to the mental problem deteriorating. About 25 per cent with severe mental illness were in need of institutional care. Educating caregivers about early detection of psychiatric illness was necessary for proper treatment of the patients, Dr. Vijaya said.

Shanti Karunakaran, consultant psychiatrist of Navajeevan project, said patients must take the prescribed drugs regularly and the role of caregivers in ensuring this was important.

Shantha Kamath, joint director of Schizophrenia Research Foundation, said besides enlightening patients about the symptoms of relapses and side effects of medication, caregivers should also be taught about dealing with the patients to help recovery.

Surya Selvaraj, advocate, discussed the legal aspects of psychiatric illness and rehabilitation. The Navajeevan project, started in 1975, provided temporary shelter and rehabilitation to women who had recovered from mental illness. The women were also given training in vocational skills.

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