Mysuru: Depression is an emerging global epidemic with over 350 million people affected and by the year 2030, depression will be the leading cause of the global burden of diseases ahead of all health conditions.

Close to eight lakh people die due to suicide every year. As depression affects all age groups, it is important that public and professionals come together to collectively combat depression.

In this direction, a two-day National Conference on Combat Depression was organised by the Departments of Psychiatry and Department of Pharmacology, JSS Medical College, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research (JSSAHER), in association with Indian Psychiatric Society Combat Depression Task Force and IPS Karnataka Chapter, at JSS Medical College in city recently.

Chief guest Prakash Belawadi, actor, filmmaker and journalist, elaborated the dilemmas of mind, art and theatre, and the problems that many of them face because of the intense competition and how it leads to depression.

Dr. Ajith Bhide, President, Indian Psychiatric Society, spoke about the need for more openness to acknowledge depression, the need to reduce stigma and to see that at the undergraduate Psychiatry level it is studied much better.

Dr. C.G. Betsurmath, Executive Secretary, JSS Mahavidyapeetha, emphasised on suicide prevention in depression among the youth.

The scientific proceedings covered every aspect of depression with experts making lucid presentation for delegates of all professional background.

A training workshop for Doctors in general, Specialist (OBG & Paediatricians), teachers, lecturers, nurses, pharmacists, engineers and software professionals, Psychology and Social Work, Psychiatry Teachers was conducted as parallel sessions. The conference also had more than 30 scientific papers, 50 poster presentations and quiz for medical students.

There was also for the first time an exclusive award for Indian Teachers of Psychiatry Award (IToP Minds United) for best poster on Undergraduate Psychiatry which was won by Dr. H.R. Vinay of AIMS, Bellur.

Audio-video competition for creating awareness was  conducted and awards given for Best Original Short Movie 5-10 mins (Category I), Best Original Mini Video – 2 minutes (Category II), Best Original 20 second Audio Clip (Category III), Best Original 20 second Original Video Clip (Category IV).  Rs. 5,000 cash prize was given to all awardees.

Prof. T.S.S. Rao sponsored the cash prizes, according to a press release from Dr. M. Kishore, Organising Chairperson and  Convener of Combat Depression Task Force.