Counselling has proven more effective than medication for treating mental health disorders, Kavita Patil, Director, Gulbarga Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) said on October 10, 2022.
She was addressing the gathering as part of the World Mental Health Day programme jointly organised by district administration, zilla panchayat, Kalyana Karnataka Psychiatric Guild, GIMS and Health and Family Welfare Department here on Monday. According to researchers, mental health counselling is not only effective but increased sessions can also result in better outcomes.
The theme of World Mental health Day-2022 is “Make Mental Health and Well-Being for All a Global Priority”. Dr. Patil said that mental and behavioural disorder were being increasingly reported among people following a modern lifestyle and the main reason behind this was the mechanical way of life, stress and strain. Countries in the West have also adopted counselling for treating mental health disorders, she added.
Dr. Patil called upon students pursuing medicine to help treat people suffering from mental health problems. GIMS would focus on strengthening its Psychiatric Department and prioritise counselling for overall mental well being, she said.
Reluctance to seek help
District Health and Family Welfare Officer Rajshekar Mali said there are several potential reasons why, given the high prevalence of mental health and drug use conditions, there is much less participation in treatment. He cited stigma as a key barrier to successful treatment.
District Mental Health Programme Officer Rajkumar Kulkarni said that as per survey of 2015-16, nearly 10% of the population is suffering from mental health disorders, out of which only a mere 15% of them approach psychiatrists for counselling and medication treatment.
