Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 3
A workshop on mental health for NGOs was held here at Development Association of Nagaland on Friday with Helen Morgan, a senior psychiatric nurse from Wellington and Imlibenla Mongro, clinical psychologist at Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research, Dimapur, as resource persons.
The workshop was organized by Arukha Network, which is working in the area of disability, with CISHR as co-partner of the event.
In the first session, Imlibenla who gave a power-point presentation on ‘Mapping your mental health’ highlighted some signs and symptoms of mental health problems including crying a lot or finding hard to express emotion, calm and almost detached behavior, disturbed sleep pattern, phobias and obsessions and exhibition of inappropriate behaviours.
The clinical psychologist at the outset said all mental issues or disorders are mental health problems and but mental health problems are not mental illness or disorders. With the help of a graph, Imlibenla said mental health is not fixed but fluctuates and therefore it is crucial to identify mental health problems in the initial stages before the lead to serious mental illness or disorders.
She said a person with good mental health may develop bad mental health even though there are no signs of any metal illness, eventually leading to diagnosis of mental illness. But with correct intervention, counseling and treatment a person diagnosed with mental illness can recover and regain good mental health, she said.
On mental health scenario in the country, Imlibenla said one out of every five persons has mental health problems and the challenge to combat metal illness or disorders in the becomes daunting as according to statistics, there is only one psychiatrist for 300,000 population and one clinical psychologist for 600,000 population, Imlibenla said.
She also presented factors, both risk and protective factors, which can influence the development of mental health problems.
Helen Morgan, spoke on aspects like effective ways to deal with mental health situations, diagnosis of mental illness and how to deal with them, treatment of mental illness or disorders in different economic strata and mental health problems in children.
The veteran psychiatric nurse also dwelled on common signs and symptoms of mental health problems like tension, agitation of the mind, less socializing, poor or increased appetite, self-neglect, confused and cluttered thoughts, suicidal tendencies and emotional shutdown.
Noting that Naga society seemed somewhat reserved, Helen said the one essential and basic aspect of maintaining good mental health is to open up and talk. She also said a smile, self introduction and communication are effective ways to make others feel comfortable and safe and for them to share their mental health problems.
