(BSS) - Highlighting the importance of mental health, academics and researchers stressed the need for ensuring mental health to all for their betterment.

Optimum treatment and necessary healthcare facilities towards the mentally
sick are very vital to facilitate them to get back their normal life.

They made the observations while addressing a post-rally discussion at
Rajshahi University (RU) today. RU Mental Health Centre organized the meeting
at its conference hall to mark the World Mental Health Day 2025.

This year`s theme, "Access to Service: Mental Health in Catastrophes and
Emergencies", reminds us of a truth that is often overlooked: emergencies do
not only destroy buildings, homes, and infrastructure-they also disrupt
minds, emotions, and communities.

Vice-chancellor (VC) Prof Saleh Hassan Naquib addressed the meeting as chief
guest, while Pro-VCs Prof Muhammad Mayeen Uddin and Prof Farid Uddin Khan
spoke as special guests. Director of Mental Health Centre Prof Enamul Haque
presided over the meeting.

Head of the Department of Psychiatry at Rajshahi Medical College Prof Dr
Sheikh Mustofa Aleem addressed the discussion as a focal person, saying
mental illnesses are an under-recognized public health problem in Bangladesh.

"Awareness about mental illness and acceptance of treatment are very low due
to social stigma and superstition," he added.

Psychosocial care of mentally sick and disaster affected people constitute a
major challenge for the health and the social welfare systems of the country.

Taking advantage of the situation, he said, some quacks and opportunist
groups have been working as money-makers by exploiting the patients.

In his remarks, VC Prof Saleh Hassan Naquib mentioned that the quacks are
pushing the patients to endangered conditions. Mental health needs to be
brought under the surveillance system incorporating other non-communicable
diseases.

The state level treatment facilities for the mental disorder patients are
very limited, he said and underscored the need for uplifting the scopes to
cope with the situation.

Integration of mental health services with primary health care has become the
most viable way of narrowing the treatment gap and ensuring that common
people benefit from mental health promotion.

Prof Mayeen Uddin said all the drug addicts, especially the intravenous drug
users, always suffer from mental sickness as the drugs damage their physical
strength and the central nervous system.

He said mental patients are the most vulnerable sections of the society. They
are subjected to repression and oppression frequently and stressed the need
for bringing them under proper treatment.