The Richmond Fellowship Society (RFS), an NGO working with the mentally ill, celebrated its silver jubilee at the convention centre of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences on Sunday. The society was set up with the aim of offering to people with mental illness the opportunity to lead as normal a life as possible.
As part of the silver jubilee celebrations, a panel discussion was held on ‘Rediscovering Dignity in Mental Illness’. Several psychiatrists were among those who spoke on the occasion.
Raghuram, head of the department of psychiatry at the Kempegowda Institute of Medical Sciences, said, “The recovery concept for people with mental illness has changed drastically. There are a lot of developments in psychopharmacology (the study of drug-induced changes in mood, sensation, thinking, and behaviour). About 10 years ago, recovery from a mental illness was not considered possible. So the profession focused on disability. But the need of the hour, however, is to focus on capability inherent in the person before getting stuck with illness.”
Dr Narayan Reddy, founder-chairman of RFS said, “Manpower development in mental health must be hastened, to meet the increasing need of the country.”
Dr Sudhir Khandewal, who has been associated with the RFS for 15 years, said, “We have been dealing with people who have lost their dignity. And we know that there are ways in which they could be helped, through treatment.”
Keshav Desiraju, additional secretary in the ministry of health and family welfare, the chief guest at the function, said that mental health is a neglected aspect of healthcare, one that also receives insufficient funding support from the Union.
