Adam Radhi
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN
Monday, October 10, 2011
THE Ministry of Health (MoH) will be observing World Mental Health
Day today at the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Saleha (Ripas) Hospital.
Starting a month-long campaign, several exhibitor booths will be set up to raise awareness on mental illnesses, and will be exhibiting comprehensive information on symptoms, treatments and causes.
The ministry has
organised four exhibitions throughout the nation that will run for a
week each. Every district's hospital will host a week of exhibitors.
A spokesperson from the ministry said that a walkathon will be held to raise awareness, though they could not confirm when. They had confirmed that a forum on mental health will also be part of the programmes, slated to be held at the end of the month.
No further details are available.
Estimates from November last year show that 10 per cent of Bruneians suffer from some form of mental illness, with less than five per cent of the population developing more serious mental illnesses.
Last year's statistics from Ripas Hospital showed that there was a 62 per cent jump in diagnosed cases from 3,889 in 2002 to 6,335 in 2006. Some of the disorders treated included depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Records of 2011 show that in the past five years, approximately 300 children and adolescents have been registered with the Psychiatric Department at the Ministry of Health for depression, emotional and behavioural problems.
A psychiatrist from Ripas Hospital said during last year's World Mental Health Day, a combination of genetic factors and various types of stresses are the main causes of mental illnesses in Brunei.
Individuals with a family history of mental illness also have a 10 per cent higher risk of developing a similar mental illness. About 70 to 80 per cent of the patients would see improvements in their condition after undergoing drug treatment.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), financial and human resources allocated for mental health are inadequate especially in low resource countries. The majority of low- and middle-income countries spend less than two per cent of their health budget on mental health. The Brunei Times
Starting a month-long campaign, several exhibitor booths will be set up to raise awareness on mental illnesses, and will be exhibiting comprehensive information on symptoms, treatments and causes.
A spokesperson from the ministry said that a walkathon will be held to raise awareness, though they could not confirm when. They had confirmed that a forum on mental health will also be part of the programmes, slated to be held at the end of the month.
No further details are available.
Estimates from November last year show that 10 per cent of Bruneians suffer from some form of mental illness, with less than five per cent of the population developing more serious mental illnesses.
Last year's statistics from Ripas Hospital showed that there was a 62 per cent jump in diagnosed cases from 3,889 in 2002 to 6,335 in 2006. Some of the disorders treated included depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
Records of 2011 show that in the past five years, approximately 300 children and adolescents have been registered with the Psychiatric Department at the Ministry of Health for depression, emotional and behavioural problems.
A psychiatrist from Ripas Hospital said during last year's World Mental Health Day, a combination of genetic factors and various types of stresses are the main causes of mental illnesses in Brunei.
Individuals with a family history of mental illness also have a 10 per cent higher risk of developing a similar mental illness. About 70 to 80 per cent of the patients would see improvements in their condition after undergoing drug treatment.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), financial and human resources allocated for mental health are inadequate especially in low resource countries. The majority of low- and middle-income countries spend less than two per cent of their health budget on mental health. The Brunei Times
