WHO’s theme for World Health Day ‘Depression: Let’s Talk’ aims to shatter the stigma around the mentally ill but closer home reality is much different
Sapna Deshpande*, 23, a resident of Goregaon was once living a regular life. She worked at a call centre, had a boyfriend and a social circle. But for five months she has been at the Thane Mental Hospital (TMH) being treated for schizophrenia - a serious mental disorder in which the patient sometimes loses touch with reality. “When I came here it was during an episode of mania where I thought I was right and everyone was wrong. I am too embarrassed to even remember that day,” says the slim girl, as she speaks softly, barely making eye contact.
“She was wearing a small one-piece dress and ordering everyone around. We had to calm her down but she is perfectly fine now,” said Dr Anjali Deshpande, a psychiatrist at the hospital. Sapna who has a younger brother is on medication and fit to return home, but her father hasn’t come to pick her up yet.
Photo credit: Vibhav Birwatkar/dna
AT A GLANCE
TMH is over a century old and has 1850 beds. At any given time over 1500 are occupied. There are six trained psychiatrists for the patients, the ratio around 1:300 on some days.
“This hospital serves a population of around 2.5 crores and is one of the four mental hospitals in the state, the others are at Pune, Nagpur and Ratnagiri,” said Dr S Rao Rokhande, medical superintendent of the facility. The out patient department (OPD) now receives around 200 patients from eight surrounding districts.
The National Mental Health Survey conducted in 2015-16 painted a worrying picture of mental health in India. One in every 20 was found to be depressed and close to 1% of population suicidal.
Prevalence of mental disorders (in percentage)
Individuals suffering from some kind of disorder: 10.6
Schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders: 0.4
Mood disorders: 2.8
Bipolar Affective Disorder: 0.3
Depressive Disorder: 2.7
Neurotic, stress-related disorder: 3.5
Suicidal Risk: 0.9
Source: National Mental Health Survey 2015-16
While earlier most patients were brought only after they turned violent, things are changing now.
“A lot of patients now coming to the hospital are those with depression. People are seeking help earlier. These signs must not be neglected and when treated on time, the patients can be productive members of the society,” he added.
Photo credit: Vibhav Birwatkar/dna
No one wants them back
If one has an image of how a patient at a mental hospital would be like then Neerja Salian*, 49 shatters it. She speaks fluent English and has been a successful real estate agent. The BCom graduate has struggled with bi-polar disorder in which the patients alternate between periods of mania and depression. “My phases last for about three weeks and I have come here three times so far. Now I don’t want to go back as my parents are dead and my brother is an alcoholic. There is no one else I can return to,” she says.
“We have over 200 patients who have been abandoned by their family members. The addresses and phone numbers change and there is no way to trace them,” said Dr Deshpande who routinely is witness to family members bringing their patients and never returning to check on them. Many of the patients are near normal and can return to their regular lives as long as they continue medication. There’s a glitch though - no one wants them back.
Photo credit: Vibhav Birwatkar/dna
Actors, models, graduates and even doctors
Those patients living here include actors, models, graduates and even doctors. They come from all economic backgrounds and professions.
Raju* who is probably in his 50s now is one such patient. No one knows his real name or where he is originally from. One day he came to the gate of the hospital in disheveled clothes and with little memory of his past. The staff took him in and with nowhere to return to, he stayed on. That was three decades ago.
“I do odd jobs here and help serve food to the patients,” he says softly when asked how he spends his time. “I normally don’t go out of the hospital except during Ganpati day when we go to bring the idol,” he shares.
Keeping Busy
At the hospital patients spent time watching TV, playing carrom and in activities like yoga and meditation. “We try to keep them busy since they have nothing much to do and we don’t want them to be completely idle,” Dr Rokhande explains.
And so the patients walk and are encouraged to keep busy in the 34-acre of the land that is currently under use of the 75-acres property. When nightfall comes the place is full of sounds of various birds, scary to some and thrilling to others. But to the patients here, it is an eerie kind of night, one that would not include the comfort of a loved one.
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 "Mentally ill patients that families don’t want back")
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