In connection with World Health Day on April 7
Recognising that clinical depression is a major public health problem in the State, the Health Department is for the first time integrating it into primary care by starting special depression clinics in selected primary health centres in the State. The programme was announced by Health Minister K. K. Shylaja here on Wednesday.
These special clinics for treating depression are being launched in connection with World Health Day on April 7. The World Health Organisation has identified depression as the focal theme this year.
WHO had in November last kicked off an year-long campaign, ‘Depression – Let’s Talk.’ It ranks depression as the single largest contributor to global disability and suicide deaths.
In Kerala, 9% of the adult population is suffering from common mental disorders, with depression topping the list, a reflection of which can be seen in the State’s high suicide rate of 22.6/ lakh population (2015).
The morbidity due to depression is huge in Kerala, with an estimated 5.8 per cent of males and 9.5 per cent of women suffering from this condition, according to Kiran P.S., Nodal Officer, State Mental Health Programme.
Depression is under-reported and not effectively treated in all global health systems and in Kerala too, less than 10 per cent of the affected receive effective treatment. A major barrier to effective care is inaccurate assessment.
In order to tackle depression as part of primary care, in the first phase, staff nurses and health workers attached to 170 public health centres, which are being converted as family health centres under the Comprehensive Primary Health Care programme, are being trained in basic psycho-social counselling and screening for depression in the community. Primary care physicians have already been trained in diagnosing and treating depression as part of the district mental health programme.
“The focus of screening will be on those at high risk of depression in the community. The cases screened and identified by health workers will be scrutinised and graded by doctors. We have developed WHO-guided treatment and referral protocols. Medicines will be provided at the PHCs and health workers will follow up the cases in the community,” Dr. Kiran said.
The medical officers at the PHCs will watch each case for four weeks and if there is no improvement or in case the patient requires a more detailed assessment, they will be referred to the psychiatric units at the district-level.
The important message to the public is that depression can be effectively treated.
At the core of WHO campaign is the message that families talk about it openly and seek help from professionals.
Source: thehindu.com