Schizophrenia continues to be one of the leading mental disorders in the country, with around 35% of the admitted patients at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) suffering from the illness, according to the health bulletin 2014.
The bulletin of the health directorate also showed that 2,140 patients were admitted to the NIMH last year; more than 35% of them had schizophrenia. The percentage had been similar in recent years: 35.53% in 2009, 37.58% in 2010, 43.47% in 2011 and 38.1% in 2012.
However, there is no recent survey data that estimated the current number of people suffering from schizophrenia across the country.
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder, characterised by profound disruptions in thinking, affecting language, perception, and the sense of self. It often includes psychotic experiences, such as hearing voices or delusions.
Dr Muhit Kamal, acting director of the NIMH, told the Dhaka Tribune that proper and continuing treatment was able to make schizophrenia patients productive and functioning in society. He, however, claimed that most patients discontinued their treatment.
It was a united responsibility for everyone including doctors of other specialities, family members and community members to ensure that schizophrenia patients received the necessary medical treatment for creating better opportunities in life, the NIMH chief added.
Dr Helal Uddin Ahmed, assistant professor (child adolescent and family psychiatry) of the NIMH, said among all schizophrenia patients, 25% would be fully cured through proper treatment, 25%-35% would lead normal lives by taking medicine regularly, 10%-15% would never be cured and 10%-15% would kill themselves or develop suicidal tendency.
He also gave his personal estimation that there were currently 5 lakh schizophrenia patients in Bangladesh.
According to the World Health Organisation, at least 26 million people are living with schizophrenia globally.
Meanwhile, in a 2005 survey titled “Community-based multi-centric service orientated research on mental illness with focus on awareness, prevalence, care, acceptance and follow up with the collaboration with WHO,” the NIMH found that there were over 2.5 crore people suffering from different forms of mental disorders in the country.
Despite the large number of patients, the country continues to offer only limited resources for treating the disorders.
Currently there are less than 200 specialised doctors to treat mental disorder patients, while a total of only 850 beds are available for mental disorder patients in all public medical facilities.
Mental disorder patients can receive treatment at only two specialised hospitals – Pabna Mental Hospital and the NIMH in Dhaka – as well as the departments of psychiatry in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and other medical colleges.
There is no formal mental health facility in the upazila level, nor in the district hospitals. The occupational therapy facilities and other support service facilities are also very limited.
Meanwhile, with the theme “Living with schizophrenia,” all WHO member countries are set to observe World Mental Health Day 2014 today. Bangladesh, however, will observe the day on October 14 because of the lack of preparations due to the recent Eid vacation.