Nation sinks into depression as prices shoot up

Nation sinks into depression as prices shoot up

Inflation not only pinches the pocket but also affects the mental state of a person. As the government keeps increasing the prices of fuel and LPG, more and more people are queuing up before doctors, fearing they might kill themselves or in extreme cases, others. Doctors say it is a disturbing trend — people are worried they will fail to keep pace with the rising cost of living. Dr Shubhangi Parker, deputy dean (academics) of KEM hospital, did her PhD on urban mental health. “The poor, especially those below the poverty line are the worst hit,” she said. “They harbour suicidal thoughts because they are frustrated. For some, rising costs can turn them into murderers. It is a major health problem.” Parker cited the example of a patient —a young married woman — who tried to kill herself because her husband could not buy a house and her parents refused to keep her two-year-old daughter. “These days I am meeting several such people. They are depressed and worried they might not be able to cope with the rising cost of living,” she said. “I am dreading that crime and suicide rates might go up.” Psychiatrists say the situation is like a pressure cooker. It may burst any moment. Dr Harish Shetty, senior psychiatrist at LH Hiranandani hospital, said the “sense of helplessness and hopelessness was on the rise. “People are fed up. The cost of living is always rising. And then there is corruption which compounds the problem. Tolerance levels are plummeting; this can be dangerous,” he said. Shetty said that he met at least eight people daily with suicidal tendencies. “They are depressed, lonely and helpless. And a good number of these are related to the rising cost of living.” Highlighting news reports of a 31-year-old man stabbing his father multiple times because he was not given Rs150, Parker said such a thing happens when frustration piles up inside. “A small incident can provoke a person to take such drastic steps.” Dr Sanjay Bagadia, president of the Bombay Psychiatrist Society, said a cost escalation is bound to affect the mental health of people. “Depression is on the rise in Mumbai,” he said. Hundreds of people arrive in the city daily in search of a livelihood. As cost of living goes up, they find it difficult to cope with it, Dr Gurvinder Kalra, psychiatrist at Sion hospital, said. “The number of such patients has gone up considerably over the past few years.”