Mumbai: In April 2021, Shailaja* (62), a resident of Surat, called a Mumbai psychiatrist for an online consultation to resolve recurrent crying spells and moodiness that she had been experiencing for the past ten years. The retired bank official said she felt uncomfortable visiting a psychiatrist’s clinic because of the stigma attached to mental health problems.
“Last year, when I consulted my GP on a video call for a cough and cold, he advised me to speak to a psychiatrist because he felt I was suffering from depression. He encouraged me to seek help saying that since it is online, I don’t have to worry about others knowing and the choice to opt for treatment after consultation will be mine,” said Shailaja, who also suffers from diabetes and hypertension. for two decades.
A month after the medication, he felt much better. “For almost ten years, I had these recurring crying spells and felt depressed. After the treatment, I felt good for the first time. I don’t think I would have ever consulted a psychiatrist if the pandemic had not passed and online consultation was not an option,” she added.
Similarly, Kshitij J* (21), a resident of Chembur and a mechanical engineering student, found the courage to seek help online in early 2021 without her parents’ knowledge.
“When I was in class 12, I had cold feet during exams. He was stressed and had anxiety attacks to the point that I had a fever. My parents resisted taking me to a psychiatrist, saying that it is common and that there is no need to go to the clinic or take medication,” he said.
Kshitij said she had a similar episode of anxiety attack last year during the pandemic thinking about exams. “My close friend lost his father to covid-19. My friend was also hospitalized but recovered. The whole situation of the pandemic and the uncertainty about the exams and the future triggered an anxiety attack. Since there was an online consultation option, I decided to seek help without my parents knowing. They are not aware yet,” he said.
With counseling and medication, Kshitij said her anxiety and depression subsided.
While the city has returned to normal with educational institutions and offices resuming, and hospitals focusing on non-Covid medical care, psychiatrists continue to see 30-50% of their daily consultations online. . An important part comprises those seeking help for the first time, such as Shailaja and Kshitij.
Psychiatrists said the pandemic has been a blessing in disguise, with many hesitant patients reaching out for help via teleconsultation.
“There has always been a stigma and hesitation in visiting a mental health professional’s clinic. Many are afraid of being labeled as mental health patients by society. With the pandemic and video consultation becoming an option, many like Shailaja and Kshitij had the courage to seek help from the comfort of their home,” said Dr. Avinash Desousa, president of the Bombay Psychiatric Society, who said that 30% of your current daily practice is still online.
Psychiatrists say that during the pandemic, they saw a 50% increase in people seeking help from mental health professionals. “Of the total number of patients, more than 20% were first-time seekers,” said Dr. Desousa.
Dr. Milan Balakrishnan, a psychiatrist at Masina Hospital, said that covid-19 itself became an equalizer. “Everyone went through some problem. Helped people become aware of mental health. And online consultation allowed many to take the first step in seeking professional help,” he said.
The Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) is now conducting a study to understand the impact of the pandemic and the availability of online consultations. “IPS plans to study and understand the experience of patients who took the video consultation, the reluctance and the stigma associated with mental health,” said a psychiatrist, part of the IPS study.
Speaking to HT, Mpower, a foundation that provides quality mental health care at reasonable rates to disadvantaged people, said that while they had a strong online consultation option before the pandemic, it was only in the last two years that they saw an increase in people seeking help online for the first time.
During the pandemic, Mpower launched the BMC Helpline: Mpower 1-1 (1800-120-820050), a free 24/7 service to provide citizens with a platform where can talk freely about mental health issues. Since then, the helpline has received more than 90,000 calls from across the country, of which around 50,000 are from Maharashtra.
Dr. Vinod Kumar, Psychiatrist and Director of Mpower – The Centre, Bangalore, said: “Before the pandemic, we were concerned about the poor response to our digital consultation. During the pandemic, we saw a 4-5 fold increase in people seeking help as there was no physical consultation option and many went through stress, anxiety and depression.”
Even after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, Dr. Kumar said they are continuing with the hybrid model. “Before the pandemic, there were few who were interested in online consultation. During the pandemic, offline sessions could not be held and now it is hybrid. We have nearly 40-60, 50-50 ratio of online and offline query modes. The barrier to seeking help for mental health was broken and the stigma was also significantly reduced,” he said.
Psychiatrists also thank the pandemic for accepting digitally signed prescriptions. “This was due a long time ago, but due to the pandemic, regulators and pharmacists have agreed to accept digital prescriptions. We scan the recipes and send the pdf format by email or WhatsApp. In the past, patients who had been in treatment for a long time had to physically visit us just for the prescription. Many also discontinued treatment,” said Dr. Desousa.
Dr. Harish Shetty, a senior psychiatrist at Dr. LH Hiranandani Hospital-Powai, which conducts 30% of its consultations online, said a large number of psychiatrists, including himself, would still like to see their patients in person.
“Patients who are asymptomatic, live far away and feel comfortable sharing during the online consultation and those whose prescriptions do not change can continue to be served online. Those who are far away and in an emergency can also benefit from online consultation. However, patients presenting with symptoms, new patients, those with poor adherence to treatment or requiring a detailed one-on-one interview, and those who are uncomfortable with online consultation are candidates for physical consultation,” he said. .
*Names changed to protect identity
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