Mental health awareness programme for general doctors launched

Spearheaded by Bollywood actress Deepika Padukone’s not-for-profit organisation, The Live Laugh Foundation (TLLLF), the program aims to rope in general physicians as the first line of defence in the fight against depression, a condition witnessing "epidemic proportions" in the country.

Partnering with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and an NGO Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI), the TLLF unvieled a webinar hosted by Dr Shyam Bhat, the psychatrist whom Padukone has publically credited with having helped her battle depression.

“GPs are already involved in caring for patients with physical conditions; we believe the program we have launched today will assist them at the first level to provide the right diagnoses and guidance to patients who could be struggling to cope with mental health issues including depression, stress and anxiety,” Padukone, Founder, TLLLF, said in a statement.

The awareness program aims over the course of the year to reach out to over 5000 physicians across the country, advising them on a range of topics related to depression and its incidence, screening and treatment and giving participants material for easy reference such as videos, articles, quizzes and handouts.

Depression is a common mental disorder, characterised by sadness, loss of interest or pleasure, feelings of guilt or low self-worth, disturbed sleep or appetite, feelings of tiredness and poor concentration.

It has been proved to affect patients socially and economically besides affecting relationships and productivity and can induce substance abuse and social frangmentation.

“We are in the midst of a huge public health crisis that many people don't realise they are going through. In urban India, 40 per cent of corporate India has depression, anxiety and stress. About 40 per cent of people who see a general practitioner in a general practice clinc will have a diagnosable depression or disorder,” Bhat said.

“Very few of that 40 per cent actually get diagnosed,” he said.