Latest studies have shown that encephalitis patients are at a high risk of suicide and self-harm. Two new research studies from the UK and Mexico were published on the occasion of World Encephalitis Day, February 22, to help raise awareness of the infection that affects the brain.
“We want anyone affected by encephalitis and mental health problems, including thoughts of suicide and self-harm, to know that symptoms are often highly treatable and help and support are available from the Encephalitis Society wherever they live in the world,” Dr Ava Easton, CEO of the Encephalitis Society and co-author on both papers, said in a statement issued in Pune, Maharashtra.
Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain. It can occur at any age and is caused either by infection, usually viral, or by a person’s own immune system going wrong. “However, a general lack of awareness about encephalitis which affects one person every minute globally leads to delays in diagnosis, treatment and poorer outcomes for patients. Subsequently, many survivors are left with an acquired brain injury, the degree and severity of which will vary. Encephalitis is indiscriminate, showing no respect for age, gender, ethnicity or other demographics,” said Dr Easton of the Encephalitis Society.
The UK paper titled ‘Mental Health Outcomes of Encephalitis’, an international web-based study, surveyed 445 respondents from 31 countries and found that 37.5 per cent of survivors of Encephalitis reported they had thought about or attempted suicide. The Mexican paper ‘Suicidal thoughts and behaviours in Anti-Nmdar Encephalitis: Psychopathological features and Clinical Outcomes’ published in the Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, gained data from 120 patients and found that 12.5 per cent of patients had suicidal behaviours during early stages of the illness with nearly half carrying out a suicide attempt.
“In India, outbreaks of acute encephalitis syndrome pose a major public health problem. Since 2005, the overall incidence of acute encephalitis syndrome in India has not decreased, with 10,867 – 13,672 cases reported each year to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP) between 2014 and 2017. Among individuals who develop acute encephalitis syndrome, case fatality is as high as 30 per cent and long-term neurological or psychiatric sequelae can occur in 30–50 per cent of patients,” the statement added.
Dr Easton said that World Encephalitis Day is a focal point for the community who have been affected or impacted by Encephalitis. “On this important day we want to project unity, common ground and offer support while we raise awareness,” Dr Easton added.
