According to Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist Dr Sohom Das, although the overall prevalence of mental illness is roughly comparable between men and women, the patterns of disorders they suffer are different, depression is twice as common in women. By contrast, alcoholism is twice as common in men. On World Mental Health Awareness Day, Asian Voice spoke to Dr Das to explore the scientific aspect of mental health issues, the stigma related to seeking therapy and how one can identify signs of deteriorating mental health and act upon it.
What are the barriers for people seeking therapy or help from a professional?
This is often related to cultural issues and also embarrassment. Some Asian cultures in particular believe that mental illness is shameful and should not be discussed openly. Instead, they are kept within the family. In my view, this can be dangerous. Chronic severe illnesses, such as schizophrenia, tend to deteriorate without professional treatment, including medication or therapy. This needs to be overseen by a professional, such as a psychiatrist.
Since therapy can be expensive, what options are there, especially for women who may not have the financial support to go to therapy or take the right medication.
Both medication and therapy are provided free by the NHS. Private treatment is much quicker, but can be expensive. In London, private weekly sessions with a psychologist typically tend to cost around £120 to £140 each. The patient often requires a minimum of 8 sessions. Private psychiatrist can prescribe medication (such as antidepressants). They would cost in the region of £250 for the initial assessment and around £100 for follow-up appointment. However, there are some charities, including women’s charities, who are willing to contribute to these costs, or even take on the full burden of payment.
What are the ways to identify mental health issues in children and men, since they are less likely to be vocal or articulate about owning or identifying them?
One way would be to talk to those who know them well, such as work colleagues or school friends, to determine if others have noted a change in the sufferer’s overall happiness, presentation and daily performance. One has to identify any major changes in behavioural patterns, such as whether the person is more withdrawn and isolative, or is avoiding particular activities. Another helpful tool is the psychological screening questionnaire. These ask about a range of different recent symptoms.
Please tell us about your mental health podcast and elaborate on ‘Drug induced psychosis’ and what the community needs to know about it, since there’s information overload and manufactured consent about this topic online - which may or may not be true.
I have recently launched a free weekly podcast which is also a YouTube video series named ‘A Psych for Sore Minds’. This explores a range of mental health topics and issues. This includes relatively common mental illnesses, such as depression and anxiety and also much more severe chronic disorders, such as schizophrenia and Bi-Polar-Affective Disorder. As I am a specialist in forensic psychiatry, some of the episodes explore the relationship between the symptoms of these illnesses and offending; such as people who hear voices or suffer from intense paranoia who lash out with violence.
Drug-induced psychosis is a temporary form of psychosis which usually comes in the form of hallucinations (mostly hearing voices), and also delusions which can include paranoid beliefs (e.g. fears that random people are talking about the sufferer or wish to harm them) or grandiose delusions (e.g. that the sufferer has special powers, such as the ability to fly or is a reincarnation of God). They are caused by illicit drug use; typical culprits include very strong skunk cannabis, and also amphetamines.
How much do you think the internet and Television have contributed to spreading awareness/myths about mental health? How much of it is safe to consume and where can one draw the line?
There has definitely been an increase in the types of programmes, podcasts and internet shows, such as YouTube videos about mental health. I think overall this is a step in the right direction, as it encourages people to speak about psychiatric disorders openly and also helps reduce the stigma. However, most content is unregulated and I personally have seen lots of videos which are factually incorrect and spread misinformation. I think the key is to check the credibility of the sources of who makes the content. Some videos have very good production value and look very polished. My advice would be to focus on content that is made by people with professional experience, especially those who have been in the business for a long time.
What is your advice for the Asian community on approaching mental health with sensitivity - leaving the taboo associated with it in the past? What is the biggest myth that you’d like to bust for them?
I have three pieces of advice: Firstly, to actually seek help. Although this is a big step and can often be a slow process, it is necessary. As I said earlier, some mental illnesses will not go away without professional intervention. The earlier you seek help from a professional, the shorter time you have to deal with a range of horrible symptoms of mental illness. I understand that it may be difficult to seek advice, due to feelings of embarrassment or fears that the wider community might find out. Remember; all doctors are bound by patient confidentiality rules which means they are not allowed to discuss your case with anybody else without your permission. If they do, they can be in serious trouble from the General Medical Council.
My second piece of advice is for people to understand that mental states do change. People do get better. If you are feeling extremely low or anxious now, it doesn’t mean that it will always be like this. People get better by seeking professional help but also because mental illnesses tend to fluctuate over time. This isn’t you for the rest of your life.
Finally, as I previously mentioned there are a lot of free online mental health resources you can access, including therapy programmes. There is also a lot of helpful advice. NHS websites are a good place to start.
