KOCHI: Kusumagiri Mental Health Centre has been working for the mental well being of society for nearly 40 years. The Centre which is celebrating its Ruby jubilee this year, has been creating awareness on mental health in schools and other institutions. As part of the World Mental Health Day on Monday, Mental Health Week is being observed at the centre from October 4 to October 10. Members of the Centre conducted awareness on different kinds of mental ailments and ways to tackle them, said Sr Miriam MSJ of Kusumagiri.Therapists visited schools and spoke on mental health and offered help in training teachers to identify students suffering from mental pressures. They also visited families, Kudumbasree and other communities to create awareness on society’s responsibility to the mentally ill. They should never be secluded but given care. Unlike the past, science has come a long way with solutions for such woes, she said. On Sunday, Dr Seethalakshmi and Dr Binu, child psychiatrists said that behavioural problems, lack of attention or concentration in hyperactive children which often go ignored, school phobia, pretending to go to school and staying away from classes, aggressive and agitated conduct may have reasons which must be found out and dealt with. The Centre in association with IMA is conducting a programme at the IMA Hall on Monday. The Centre which had one psychiatrist, three nurses, one pharmacist and laboratory technician now provides inpatient facility for about 115 persons. A multidisciplinary team comprising psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychiatrist social workers, physiatrist nurses, occupational therapists, speech therapists and special educators cater to the needs of patients. Families are also involved in treatment. Occupational therapy helps in the cognitive, perceptual, social and emotional uplift of patients, she said.Pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, behaviour therapy, psychosocial interventions, counselling, occupational therapy and psychoeducation are offered. The centre has a rehabilitation unit. The Navajyothi Centre for Child Behavioural Science includes an autism training centre for children. The Centre plans to open a daycare centre for the elderly, counselling training programme, premarital counselling course, mental health research wing, college for special education and training school for children with autism.
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