PANAJI
As the world marks World Mental Health Day today, statistics from the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (IPHB) show a sobering reflection of a State quietly grappling with its growing mental health burden.
The Annual Statistical Report 2024, available with The Goan, reveals that more than 43,000 outpatients sought psychiatric help over the year -- an average of nearly 120 patients every day.
Of these, IPHB alone recorded 42,799 outpatient visits -- 22,437 men and 20,362 women. The RMC at Mandur accounted for 169 patients, while Chimbel Asylum, St Cruz and Apna Ghar together reported 495. Another 222 patients were registered at Colvale jail.
Officials confirmed that the figures indicate both rising awareness and a deepening concern in mental well-being across Goa.
Of the total, a total of 4,220 new psychiatric cases were registered last calendar year, with men forming a slight majority -- 2629 male patients and 1591 female patients.
Another 3,802 cases came under the Care and Guidance Clinic (CGC), including 1,279 new cases and 2523 follow-up cases.
The figures further indicate that the institute admitted 1,056 patients under various sections of the Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA), with a 96.16 percent bed occupancy rate. A total of 1017 were discharged in the same year.
Among the inpatients, 216 were referred following Magistrate orders, while 766 were categorised as High Support Needs (HSN) cases under Section 89 of the MHCA. Sixteen were minors admitted under Section 87 of MHCA, and another 16 were mentally ill prisoners under Section 103 of MHCA. Forty-two patients were admitted independently under Section 86, which allows voluntary admission for adults who recognise they have a mental illness.
While no deaths or escapes were recorded, psychiatrists at the institute say the numbers should be read as a wake-up call.
“The figures show that mental illness is neither rare nor hidden anymore. From depression and anxiety to substance-induced psychosis, every category has seen an increase across the world,” a source said.
