Suicide rates have risen sharply during the corona virus, like the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on public mental health.
Recently, a 58-year-old businessman named Abu Mohsin Khan shot himself on Facebook live in the capital's Dhanmondi. Like mass hysteria, suicide is a contagious issue. It has been seen at several times that if a person commits suicide in a village, we see that many people have committed suicide in that village one after the other. The incidence of suicide in live video may increase. This is a dangerous trend.
We know from Mohsin Khan's suicide note that his business collapsed. Those with whom he had financial transactions did not pay. He also wrote about various family frustrations. However, analyzing the problem of Mohsin Khan and revealing the cause of his suicide is not an easy task. Millions of people are living in financial crisis due to the ongoing epidemic. The businesses of millions of people have also collapsed. They are not committing suicide in groups like Mohsin Khan. Then why did Mohsin Khan commit suicide? Experts believe that the underlying cause of suicide is quite complex. The man himself and his family members often do not understand whether a person's mental health has deteriorated to the point of suicide.
So, the main thing is to take care of mental health as well as physical health. The problem is that 92% of the people in our country do not receive any kind of service or advice for mental problems. And those who go for treatment, they also seek the help of a doctor at the very last moment, not at the beginning of the problem. Another problem is that the people of Bangladesh think that if it is revealed that he has a mental problem, he and his family will be humiliated in the eyes of the society. There is a negative attitude towards mental patients treatment and of those affected in mental illness in our country. There are even widespread allegations that hospital staff or those involved in its treatment do not treat psychiatric patients properly. Specifically, there is a clear lack of professionalism in mental health care in the country. This service is not available anywhere other than medical college or tertiary level.
There are only two specialized hospitals in Bangladesh. At present there are only 270 psychiatrists for 17 crore people. And there are only 250 psychologists for counseling. In the developed world, however, physical as well as mental health checkups are done every year. The medical sector in the country has undergone astonishing expansion in many respects, but the field of mental health treatment is still in bad stage. The reason is that no one wants to give mental health as much importance as physical health. But people live mentally. If you feel depressed, alone, or are having a problem you can't solve, you need to reach out for help and support. Opening up about your depression with right person is one of the most effective ways to get the help and support you need at a time when you likely feel vulnerable and alone. So all the members of the family stay close to each other and extend your hand towards friends and relatives.
