Kathmandu, October 9:

The Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at Norvic Hospital is organising a week-long free check-up camp tomorrow to mark the World Mental Health Day 2007.

A release issued here today by Norvic Hospital said camp aims at increasing awareness on mental illness and sensitise people towards negative effects of mental disorder and discrimination against people with mental illness and psychological problems.

The release added one out of every four people suffer from some kind of mental illness but do not seek help because of stigma attached to it.

“In fact, less than one per cent of them suffer from severe psychotic disorder, stereotypically known in everyday languages as insanity, crazyness or madness, but due to fear of being labelled by such words, majority of people with depression, anxiety, panic disorder and other psychological trauma never get appropriate mental health services.”

The WHO has predicted that by 2020, depressive orders will be biggest contributors to Global Burden of Diseases well ahead of HIV/AIDS.