Sassoon General Hospital in Pune is receiving four to five patients each day who have attempted suicide and are referred to its psychiatry department, with most of them aged between 15 and 30, according to information shared by the hospital’s psychology department head, Dr Nishikant Thorat.
The figures indicate growing pressure on the city’s public mental-health services. The hospital recorded around 52,000 patients in its psychiatry outpatient department last year, while approximately 36,000 patients had already been registered between April and September this year. The department is currently seeing 150 to 200 patients daily.
Dr Thorat said relationship-related stress, family problems and examination pressure were among the main factors associated with suicide attempts. Some cases also involved alcohol use and substance dependence. Around 10 to 12 patients require admission and treatment each month after attempting suicide, he said.
Treatment decisions are based on the intensity of a patient’s suicidal thoughts, any history of previous attempts, family support and an assessment of the surrounding circumstances. Depending on the case, treatment may include medication, counselling and specialised care.
The hospital’s data shows that the demand extends beyond Pune city. Around 40% of the outpatient patients come from outside the district, with substantial numbers arriving from Dharashiv, Beed and Ahilyanagar. Patients also come from Daund and Baramati talukas. Dr Thorat said the large share of patients travelling to Sassoon adds to the department’s workload and the level of responsibility it must manage.
The reported cases span more than acute psychiatric illness. The department is also treating schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression, while observing behavioural concerns among children, including irritability, anger, difficulty concentrating on studies and excessive use of mobile phones and social media.
To support medical students, the hospital has started a counselling facility called Chhatra Manas Kaksha. Outpatients and students receiving regular treatment are referred there for counselling. The facility is counselling four to five students each day, with difficulties related to adapting to a new environment, academic pressure and living away from home among the concerns reported by the department.
The hospital’s psychiatry specialists have also highlighted the need to pay closer attention to behavioural problems and emotional instability among children. The latest figures place the burden on a public hospital that serves both Pune’s urban population and patients travelling from several districts, while the department continues to determine treatment according to individual risk and support needs.
