MP records most suicides due to mental disorders

Mental disorders have turned out to be major killer in Madhya Pradesh with 1,227 people suffering from such illnesses committing suicide in Madhya Pradesh in 2015, as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The figure puts state at the top of the ignominious list where it is followed by Maharashtra (990 cases) and Tamil Nadu (914 cases).

As per the NCRB, Madhya Pradesh witnessed a 128% hike in such deaths in 2015 compared to 2014 when 538 such suicides were reported.

What has come as another shocker is the fact that the state has less than 50 psychiatrists who can clinically treat mental disorders despite MP being home to around 40 lakh people who suffer from illnesses like insanity, depression and stress. A measly 0.05 psychiatrists are available per one lakh population in state, according to the National Mental Health Survey, 2015-16.

The survey also revealed that apart from private practitioners, the number of government medical officers at the state and district levels trained to deliver mental health services is only 0.1 per lakh population in Madhya Pradesh.

According to proposed norms, there should be one psychiatrist for every 100,000 people, three clinical psychologists for every 200,000 people, two psychiatric social workers for every 100,000 people, and one psychiatric nurse for every 10 psychiatric beds.

 Dr R N Sahu, secretary of the MP Mental Health Authority and professor of psychiatry at Gandhi Medical College and Associated Hospitals, Bhopal, blamed lack of proper treatment for the spurt in number of suicides in MP .

“More than 70 per cent people who committed suicide owing to mental illness did not treatment to avoid social stigma. Even after being detected with mental illness, people fear visiting psychiatrists as they fear being tagged as mad,” Sahu said.

Speaking to the Hindustan Times, Dr Satyakant Trivedi, a psychiatrist, said unemployment, substance abuse, and examination stress often leads to depression. He suggested some remedial measures too.

“Apart from spreading awareness on mental health, the government can launch tele-psychiatry centres for people suffering from mental illness in rural areas. This can be done through video conferencing,” he said.

No. of suicides due to mental illness in states 

MP: 1227 

Maharashtra: 990 

Tamil Nadu: 914 

Gujarat: 858 

Kerala : 697