A recent survey on the psychological health of Kathmandu residents highlights the deleterious impact of rapid urbanisation on the human mind. The study reveals that 30 per cent of the residents of Nepal's capital face psychological problems of some sort, which makes them resort to harmful activities such as alcohol and drug abuse.

The Organisation for Psychological Research and Counselling (OPRC) conducted the research in six wards of the city. Baburam Gautam, head of the public health department of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, attributes the growing mental unrest to the unsettling effects of urbanisation. He says that the problem manifests itself in the form of disorders such as depression, stress, tension and fear.

The study is being considered a major development in the field of psychological diagnosis in Nepal. Based on the research, "OPRC has been providing consultancy to the patients,' says Kohinoor Karhi Dahal, vice president of the organisation.

The study also singled out psychological disorders among adolescents as a serious issue. Medical experts in Nepal advocate the founding of community health centres similar to those started in the US after the second World War, to help urban citizens deal with mental trauma.