Top mental health hospital warns of rising depression in Thailand
One of Thailand’s top mental health hospitals has warned that lifestyle stress is behind a rise in the number of patients seeking treatment for depression.
Bangkok Mental Health Hospital (BMHH) said depression was the most common complaint among the estimated 1,000 patients it treated over the three months up to November. The second highest complaint was anxiety, followed by high stress, panic attacks, and bipolar disorder, the hospital added.
Most patients were in the 25-40 age group.
Many complained of problems with their families or spouses while others were depressed because of financial problems or issues related to work.
The hospital said that people aged 25 to 40 often face tremendous pressure from changing social trends and high competition in their work environment.
Dr Paveena Srimanothip, CEO of BMHH, said not all people who sought help were taken on as patients. Many just wanted advice from psychiatrists on how to handle their stress.
She advised people to monitor their feelings regularly and seek help from doctors before mental distress reaches a crisis level.
People with depression are often suffering a chemical imbalance in their brain that requires medicine to correct, she said.
She speculated that the rise in depression cases seen by BMHH was just the tip of the iceberg as many people do not seek treatment for mental illness.
