October 10 is the World Mental Health Day
According to a new study released by the Cosmos Institute of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences (CIMBS), about 75 per cent of people suffering from schizophrenia live with 'high level of disability'.
The findings are based on a telephonic survey, where more than 100 families were contacted.
The questions were answered by them anonymously. About 56 percent of caretakers indicated that schizophrenics are a burden of personal care while 63 percent indicated them a burden of financial care.
According to Sunil Mittal, senior psychiatrist with the CIMBS, the survey results highlight the need to boost early treatment, rehabilitation for those suffering from schizophrenia, and to look at the long-term care needs of those living with schizophrenia and other severe mental disorders.
"Psycho-social rehabilitation for those with chronic psychiatric illness is important to help them re-learn and re-gain their lost skills necessary for activities involved in their daily routines," says Sadiya Afzal Khan, associate psychiatric social worker at CIMBS.
Here are a key symptoms of schizophrenia you should know
1. Lack of social interest: People with schizophrenia usually hate socializing. They avoid eye to eye contact, can't express themselves, and can rarely initiate a conversation with another person. They might also avoid responding if someone tries to have a conversation with them. This form of social withdrawal may be because they have an imaginary world that appears to be more real to them.
2. Delusion: Psychological health gets affected in a way that the person may start believing unrealistic things like they're being harassed or being caught up in a catastrophic event.
3. Loss of appetite: Patients with schizophrenia deviate from normal behaviours in several aspects. One of them is the loss of appetite.
Source: IANS