Ranchi, April 19: A severe heat wave sweeping across Jharkhand has led to a sudden spurt in the number of patients suffering from extreme mood swings, a disorder mental health experts have confirmed is linked to harsh temperatures.

April trends recorded at two of the capital’s mental health institutes, Ranchi Institute of Neuro Psychiatry and Allied Sciences (Rinpas) and Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP), indicate a 15-20 per cent rise in the average number of patients reporting symptoms of Bipolar Affective Disorder or BAD.

According to experts, BAD is a psychiatric condition when the mood of a patient oscillates between one extreme to another — for instance, from a state of high excitement to that of severe depression, often with suicidal tendencies.

“Bipolar” denotes radical emotional changes, while “affective disorder” denotes the abnormal highs or lows in a patient’s mood. One per cent of the population suffers from bipolar effective disorder at some point in their lives. It occurs in both sexes and often manifests itself first at an age between 18 and 24. On an average, the number of mental health cases at OPDs of Rinpas and CIP ranges between 150-200, while during summer it is more than 300.

At CIP, which is a 643-bed hospital, the occupancy is 80-90 per cent during summer. “We cannot deny the fact that seasons have a powerful effect leading to bipolar disorders in people,” said Dr S. Haque Nizamie, the director of CIP.

Around 80 per cent cases are from rural areas, while the remaining are from urban areas. Besides, psychiatrists site cannabis and alcohol, the consumption of which shoots up during summer months, as other factors behind the rise in BAD cases, especially in rural areas.

Amol Ranjan Singh, the head of Rinpas psychiatry department, also pointed out that most patients coming to the 500-bed hospital for treatment were from villages. “Summer causes lot of irritation, while winter leads to depression,” he said.

He said in the early months of summer, right after the harvesting season of January and February, villagers seem to have extra money in their possession. “This, at times, gives rise to an inflated opinion of one’s self and a sudden rise in self-esteem,” he said.

Patients are diagnosed with BAD based on current and past symptoms. They are usually admitted for a month that can extend to eight weeks. Treatment includes psychological advice and medication including anti-depressants. “They have to remain under continuous medication. We suggest that if they are able to recognise their problem it can be controlled,” Singh said.