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unhealthy situation Lack of information and communication between various organizations involved in mental health care has left the problem of mental health largely unaddressed. Realising the need for action, the Communication Centre for Mental Health (CCMH) held a one-day seminar titled ‘Focus on Future Priorities’ at the Sri Lankan Foundation Institute recently. The aim was to raise awareness of the causes and consequences of mental health and focus on socio-economic issues, understanding mental disorders, the role of mental health education and the prevailing stigma attached to mental illness. The CCMH was set up and registered in 1992 with the Social Services Ministry as a voluntary social services organization. 'Mental illness' is frowned upon in Sri Lanka due to many misconceptions. In his keynote address Prof. Carlo Fonseka pointed out that mental health cannot be pursued in the way that physical health is. To achieve perfect mental health, one must fulfil the fundamental human needs which chronologically given, are continuity, protection, affection, belonging, knowledge, work, excitement, leisure, and freedom. The causes of mental illness, as Dr. Gamini Premathilake, consultant psychiatrist of the Angoda hospital explained, are many. For instance, it maybe hereditary with an individual suffering illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia. Other factors that could cause mental illness are stress, environment, drug addiction and poor mental health. Society needs
to be educated on how to recognize the symptoms of mental illnesses.
Counselling must be made available in schools and in prisons on
a larger scale. Attitudes towards mental illness must change, Dr.
Premathilake said. |
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