December 18, 2008	Thursday	Zilhaj 19, 1429

KARACHI, Dec 17: In a situation when mental illnesses are reaching alarming proportions all over the world without a bar to age or gender mainly because of rising poverty and violence, psychiatrists have been advised not to put their patients on ‘anti-depressants’ without prior and thorough medical check-up.

“Those referred to you as suspected case of depression or any other psychological ailment may not necessarily be in need of these drugs,” Dr Amin A. Gadit, a professor of psychiatry at Memorial University of Canada, said on Wednesday.

He was addressing an interactive training session titled, ‘Prevention of depression’, which was part of the ongoing pre-conference activities of the Pakistan Medical Association.

The senior psychiatrist said thyroid disorders and deficiency of any of the essential nutrients which included zinc, vitamin B-12, vitamin D and iron could trigger symptoms associated with depression and therefore needed to be attended accordingly.

It’s always important to investigate for medical problems in all cases suspected for mental ill health, Dr Gadit emphasised, reiterating that mental illnesses were reaching alarming proportions across the globe. About 25 per cent people developed mental health problems during their life, he said, adding that it’s estimated that 15 per cent of disability worldwide would account for the psychiatric illnesses by the year 2020. He said roughly 10 per cent of depressives eventually commit suicide.

Ineffective ordinance

He said the failure of successive governments in combating mental illness in Pakistan was mainly due to invisible mental health policy, ineffective mental health ordinance and unmet targets of the tenth five-year plan.

Dr Gadit enumerated access to drugs, alcohol, displacement, isolation and alienation, lack of education, housing and transport, peer rejection, poor social circumstances, academic failure, attention deficits, child abuse and neglect, chronic insomnia, chronic pain, communication deviance, aggression, family conflict, losses and medical illnesses as the major risk factors for mental ill-health.

“The warning signs for mental illnesses include: irrelevant talk, louder speech, irritability, odd behaviour, withdrawal, self talking, neglect of personal hygiene and emotional turbulence,” the psychiatrist said.

As for strategies to prevent mental illnesses, he suggested brain stimulus, exercise, music, change of lifestyle, spiritual counselling, intake of essential nutrients, addressing thyroid and other medical problems, good sleep and dark chocolate. “The helpful factors are most importantly good parenting, literacy, pro-social behaviour, improving nutrition, healthy housing, community networks and resilience building,” he added.—APP