Patients of depression on the rise in P’kula

Ishrat S Banwait

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Panchkula, April 7

The Civil Hospital in Sector 6, Panchkula, receives over 30 new cases of depression every day according to its psychiatry department. In the past three days, 93 cases of depression have been received at the hospital.

The head of psychiatry department at the hospital, Dr Rajeev Trehan, informs that the disease is on the rise and the number of cases he receives is rising by 20 per cent every year. What is more worrying is that many people do not treat it like a disease and seek medical help. He added that the theme adopted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on this world mental health day is ‘Let’s Talk Depression’.

According to hospital records, age is no bar for the disease and teenagers as well as well as people in their 70’s are affected by depression. Dr Trehan says, “Stress levels are very high these days and we are not doing enough to release it.”

He adds that a school-going child may be depressed due to his poor performance in studies along with his parents. Similarly, a middle-aged person can have job-related or relationship-related stress, which in turn can depress his parents. “Thus, every age group has its own reasons for stress but we do not talk about it and seek medical help,” he added.

Civil Surgeon Dr VK Bansal explains that there are two types of depression—exogenous and endogenous. Exogenous depression is caused by external factors like a child being depressed because his parents do not have a healthy relationship. Endogenous stress implies internal or self-affecting reasons like poor performance at work or studies.

Stress release through yoga, meditation, walking and any form of exercise is important as it releases endorphine, a hormone which releases stress. Dr Trehan says talking about depression and seeking medical help can decrease the number of suicides as well.