IOP to organise India's first mental healthcare fair from January 9

Kolkata: The Institute of Psychiatry (IOP), a centre of excellence on mental healthcare in the city is organising India's first mental healthcare fair for four days from January 9 at the SSKM Hospital to spread awareness about mental healthcare among the people.

Kolkata Mental Health Fair 2020, will give a platform to the patients and their family members to interact with the top psychiatrists from across the country and abroad. It was learnt that top psychiatrists from Manchester University and Institute of Psychiatry London are also expected to attend the programme.

One of the main purposes of the programme is to make people aware of the stigma surrounding mental healthcare which often haunts the patients and their family members. Dr Pradip Saha, Director of the IOP who is also the secretary of the organising committee of the fair said: "Our aim is to generate awareness about mental health and remove the stigma attached to mental illness. Modern research and innovations have enabled us with ample possibility of successfully treating mental disorder. The awareness about mental health is very poor and that is why mental illness often goes unreported." Dr Saha also said that according to a survey, one out of every five women and one out of every seven men in India suffer from some sort of psychiatric problems. He also pointed out that mental depression is one the rise in our country due to several factors. "Children who are brought up in a nuclear family often develop depression as they do not get enough attention from their parents who remain busy in their works. The children develop a sense that their demands are not properly taken care of which eventually leads to depression," Dr Saha added. Altogether 30 stalls will be erected on the fairground where seminars, roadshows, street plays and quiz competitions would be conducted on mental health. Interactive sessions have been given utmost importance so that maximum number of people can take part in it.

Mayor Firhad Hakim is expected to inaugurate the event on January 9. A rally would also be organised where the doctors and people from various walks of the society will take part.

"In the fair, there will be discussions on various topics like child and adolescent mood disorders, substance abuse, behavioural health, wellness and recovery, available treatment and services. There will be a technical session for medical professionals also," Dr Sahas said.