SL: INCREASING MENTAL DISORDER!

Sri Lanka shows an increase in mental disorder: WHO
By Sandun A Jayasekera/ courtesy:dailymirror.lk

In Sri Lanka, 600,000 people or 3% of the population suffer from some kind of mental disorder. More than three decades of conflict and effects of tsunami are having a huge impact on the mental well-being of the Sri Lankan population, on its most deprivedsector in particular, a WHO report said.

The world body in its ‘Mental Health Update’ which is a result of a mental health survey in the country further says that mental health data from Sri Lanka shows an increase in severe and common mental disorders in time of armed conflict.

“This country has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Misuse of alcohol is frequent, especially in areas affected by disasters. Mental health services have hardly developed in the conflict affected areas and other areas such as Nuwara-Eliya, Puttalam and Kegalle. Thus access to mental health services is extremely limited and grossly disproportionate from one area of the country to another,” the report stressed.

Mental healthcare is still mainly concentrated and provided in large psychiatric hospitals in Colombo and surrounding areas. Frequently, big psychiatric institutions have been a major issue for human rights concerns. In spite of this grave situation, insufficient attention is given to the mental health sector and at times it is forgotten, the report said.

In Sri Lanka around 3,000 patients live in mental hospitals around Colombo including about 800 female patients in Mulleriyawa mental hospital and most of them are no longer mentally ill. Many of them stayed in hospitals over several years and have lost contact with their families and communities. Over 70% of these persons have the potential to be integrated into society.

However, in a positive note the report says that a survey conducted in 152 low to middle income countries shows that only three countries in the world, namely Sri Lanka, Brazil and Chili have shown a national level of success with mental health intervention.

Elaborating on the WHO’s commitment in addressing this important but neglected issue in Sri Lanka’s healthcare delivery system, the world body says that ‘Improving people’s health and the psychological well-being is one of the priority objectives of WHO Sri Lanka 2006 - 2011 country strategy’.