More than 50 people are reaching the psychiatry outpatient department of Base Hospital in Almora every day, highlighting growing mental-health concerns across the district. The hospital is affiliated with Soban Singh Jeena Government Medical College.
Doctors say the daily patient flow includes both new and returning cases. Around 15 patients seen each day belong to the youth category, with concerns linked to substance use, career pressure, unemployment anxiety, changing relationships and social media use.
The figures have emerged around World Mental Health Day, observed on 10 October to promote awareness and challenge social stigma surrounding mental illness. The hospital’s outpatient numbers indicate that many residents continue to require professional consultation for psychological and behavioural difficulties.
Children and young people among those affected
Doctors are also seeing mental and behavioural challenges among children aged 5 to 14. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and autism are among the concerns being reported in this age group.
The report identifies changing lifestyles, social-media addiction and increasing career pressure as factors associated with the rise in depression among young people and children. Substance use and worries about employment are also cited in connection with the mental-health difficulties faced by young patients.
Dr Veena Tejan, a psychiatrist at Base Hospital, said families should not hide mental stress or behavioural changes. She advised people to seek specialist consultation and counselling without delay.
Women’s mental health often overlooked
Women, including homemakers and those in employment, are also reaching the hospital with mental-health concerns. Doctors have drawn particular attention to partum depression, which can develop after childbirth amid hormonal and social changes.
Families may dismiss these symptoms as normal tiredness, allowing the condition to go unnoticed. The concern is especially important because changes after childbirth can affect a woman’s emotional wellbeing and may require professional support.
Warning signs families should notice
The reported warning signs include:
- Persistent sadness or a strong desire to remain alone.
- Sudden, extreme irritability or anger.
- A major change in appetite or sleep patterns.
- Loss of interest in activities and the presence of negative thoughts.
These signs do not by themselves establish a diagnosis. However, the hospital’s psychiatrist has urged families to treat noticeable changes in mood, behaviour, sleep or appetite seriously and to seek expert advice rather than conceal them.
Conclusion
Base Hospital’s daily attendance of more than 50 mental-health patients, including about 15 young people, points to the need for greater awareness and timely professional consultation in Almora. Families are being urged not to dismiss warning signs or partum depression as ordinary fatigue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How many mental-health patients visit Base Hospital each day?
More than 50 new and returning patients visit the hospital’s psychiatry outpatient department daily.
Q. How many young patients are seen each day on average?
About 15 of the daily patients are from the youth category.
Q. Which children are identified as facing mental and behavioural challenges?
Children aged 5 to 14 are among those affected, with ADHD and autism listed among the reported concerns.
Q. What issues are linked to mental-health problems among young people?
The report mentions substance use, career pressure, unemployment anxiety, changing relationships and social-media use.
Q. What is partum depression?
It is depression that can occur in women after childbirth amid hormonal and social changes.
Q. Which warning signs should families watch for?
Warning signs include persistent sadness, wanting to remain alone, sudden irritability or anger, major changes in appetite or sleep, loss of interest and negative thoughts.
Q. What should people do when mental stress or behavioural changes appear?
They should seek specialist consultation and counselling instead of hiding or ignoring the changes.
