Mental depression suffered by a large number of diabetics remains undiagnosed, causing the complications of the disease to be four times greater among the depressed patients than ones with healthy state of minds, claims a leading specialist of the field.
Professor Norman Sartorius, president of the Association for the Improvement of Mental Health Programmes and former director of the World Health Organisation’s Division of Mental Health, made the comment yesterday when speaking to the Dhaka Tribune.
Diabetologists, general physicians and psychiatrists should work together to ensure proper treatment for the diabetic patients who suffer from depression as well, he said.
Claiming that doctors could easily recognise depressed patients by asking a few simple questions, Sartorius added that correct diagnosis would reduce the complications of multi-disease and lower treatment costs for the patients.
Sartorius arrived in Dhaka to attend a three-day workshop titled “Dialogue on Diabetes and Depression” which ended yesterday at the city's Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) auditorium. The programme was jointly organised by the Association for Study of Mental Health in Bangladesh and Association for the Improvement of Mental Health Programme.
More than 80 doctors from Birdem, National Healthcare Network, National Institute of Mental Health and Bangladesh College of General Practitioners participated in the programme, which was also addressed by specialists Professor Linda Gusk and Dr Abdul Javed from the United Kingdom, and Dr SK Chuturbedi from India.
Dr Golam Rabbani, president of the Association for Study of Mental Health in Bangladesh, told the Dhaka Tribune that it was not possible to solve the problem without the active participation of diabetologists and general physicians, as there are only a limited number of psychiatrists in the country.
Dr Md Waziul Islam Chowdhury, director of National Institute of Mental Health, said around 4.6% of the adult population in Bangladesh have been suffering from depression.
According to the International Diabetic Federation, around 12% people in Bangladesh suffer from diabetes.
