News
Mental illness on the rise worldwide: psychiatrist
With the rise in foreign visitors, health authorities should be trained in dealing with tourists who show symptoms of mental illness as there in an increase in various neurological disorders worldwide that may lead to violent tendencies and drug addiction, a senior lecturer in psychiatry warned.
Addressing a seminar organised by the British High Commission, on mental health of tourists, Dr. Jayamal de Silva, senior lecturer of psychiatry at the Sri Jayawardhanapura University, said “a tourist when planning to travel to a particular destination has a certain image of that place but when things are not as what was expected, the person receives ‘a cultural shock’. This can trigger mental disorders.”
Giving a lucid example of cultural shock Dr. de Silva described an incident when a French tourist who arrived in Sri Lanka started behaving abnormally. “He first refused to be checked at the airport and after being locked up for non-cooperation with the authorities, tried to escape and was shot and severely injured,” he added.
He also said that those individuals who are alcoholics or are addicted to narcotic drugssuch as heroin, cannabis or Ecstasy pills are more prone to such psychotic disorders. Also, those who suffer mental illness become highly volatile, aggressive and in some cases become extremely suicidal.
Hallucinations, delusions and responding to unseen stimuli are some symptoms of mental illness. “Patients suffering from such disorders should be approached with utmost patience, care and calmness. Any frivolity with them may lead to catastrophic results as they are highly unpredictable,” advised Dr. de Silva.
Laura Davies, Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and the Maldives said the World Health Organisation (WHO) states that 26 million people are suffering from mental illnesses today adding that such afflictions tend to aggravate when a person is on holiday in an unfamiliar country.
“With the Sri Lankan government setting a target of 1.5 million tourists in 2014, knowledge of various disorders and how to combat them is essential,” she said.