Mental checks a healthy sign

DENPASAR, Bali: A 10-fold increase of mentally disturbed patients at the state-owned Bangli mental hospital was considered a healthy sign by its director Robert Revenger.

It "demonstrates an increased awareness among people to undergo mental check-ups ... before it is too late", he was quoted by the Antara news agency as saying.

He said that even those with light mental disorders are now willing to go to the hospital, whereas in the past, only those with heavy disorders were brought there.

He said not all the mentally disturbed people were insane.

Most patients, he said, were "emotionally disturbed" due to rapid developments and changes in social life.

Revenger said the 60-year-old hospital has also succeeded in increasing its services, evident from the decline in the number of days of treatment from an average of 63 to only 36 now.(pwn)