Staff Reporter:
Government psychiatrists have claimed that one in four people injured in the July-August uprising are suffering from extreme depression owing to the loss of limbs, treatment uncertainty and financial insecurity.
On Friday, the Bangladesh Association of Psychiatrists made the claims while unveiling two separate survey reports at the National Press Club in the capital.
Notably, depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects how the affected person feels, thinks and acts. The condition is highly likely to affect the patient’s daily life, relationships and social interactions.
The first survey published in Friday’s press briefing was conducted by the Shyamoli-based National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
It found that 14.5% of the injured, or about one in every seven, are suffering from serious depression while 27.3%, or one in every four, are suffering from extreme depression.
Separately, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) found that 65% of the injured are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Associate Professor Dr Mohammad Shamsul Ahsan Maksud told reporters that the injured people repeatedly feel frightened as they recollect memories of the violent uprising, and worry over a repetition of the brutalities.
Not only the sufferers of violence but also the witnesses to the brutality have been psychologically impacted, experts at the press briefing claimed.
For addressing the crisis, the psychiatrists stressed increasing counselling activities, and eradicating taboos against mental health services.
