Citizens' mental health is deteriorating: 1 in every 4 people is at risk of depression!

Mental health problems continue to increase with each passing day.

According to experts, mental illnesses rank second in Turkey in terms of healthcare expenditures and the frequency of diseases.

There is an average of one psychiatrist for every 100,000 people in the country. This figure is far behind the rate in European Union (EU) countries. It is stated that there are currently between 7,000 and 8,000 psychiatrists working in the public and private sectors in the country, and 60 percent of mental health services are provided by public hospitals. Speaking on the occasion of October 10, World Mental Health Day, psychiatrist Dr. Dilek Yeşilbaş reminded that it is estimated that more than 15 million people in Turkey have been diagnosed with a mental illness. Yeşilbaş said that this figure is only the tip of the iceberg and that she has observed a significant increase in recent years.

'MEN DON'T COME UNTIL THEY ARE PUSHED TO THE BRINK, BUT...'

According to a report by Sibel Bahçetepe from BirGün; explaining that mental illnesses rank second in the world and in Turkey when looking at healthcare expenditures and the frequency of diseases, Yeşilbaş said, “Heart diseases are in first place. The most common mental illnesses appear to be depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder. The most frequent requests for support come from women. Men rarely come until they are pushed to the brink. However, I would like to underline the reality that ‘men cry too, and men are human beings too.’”

PATIENTS ARE NOT GOING TO THE DOCTOR

Stating that many patients experiencing serious mental distress do not go to the doctor, Dr. Yeşilbaş continued as follows: “I believe the main reason is the total denial of mental illnesses or approaching the subject with prejudice. People do not accept mental illnesses with the same ease that they accept diseases like stomach ulcers, diabetes, or high blood pressure. A significant portion of the people around the patients also make expressions that are extremely far from understanding the patient, such as ‘you can handle it, you can do it if you try a little, you aren't trying at all, look at the troubles other people have.’ This causes patients to either not seek treatment or to come secretly and leave the treatment unfinished. Yet, mental illnesses are not tangible, they are not visible to the eye, and they are such troubles that no one would willingly suffer through such distress.”

THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE IS COST

Explaining that treatment varies from person to person, Yeşilbaş said, “Every patient's treatment must be handled meticulously. I must also say that social media has both positive and negative effects on illnesses. I see many of my patients diagnosing themselves with half-baked information and pursuing strange treatment paths. They either follow the wrong people and lose hope, money, and time, or they make mistakes such as stopping their current treatments, interrupting them, or leaving one treatment to start another, and ultimately sabotage their own path to healing.” Yeşilbaş added, “Unfortunately, rising costs are also a significant factor affecting treatment. Mental illnesses are not situations that can be solved in a day or a few meetings. They require long-term follow-up and treatment.”

News Source: 12punto