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India Needs Shrinks

Mumbai

Attack victims overwhelm India's psychiatrists.

India's small corps of 4,000 psychiatrists are at a loss in the aftermath of the Mumbai terror attacks, which killed 170 people and traumatized a country of 1.1 billion people. The line to see mental health professionals can stretch to 300 people, and patients typically get counseled for a maximum of five minutes. Patients range from CEOs who pay $50 per visit to illiterate villagers who pay a subsidized fee of five cents. Many victims are also turning to traditional healers and shamans, who are often viewed as a less embarrassing alternative. "You know very well they're going to go from your clinic to a witch doctor who will do black magic," one psychiatrist says.

Read it at The Los Angeles Times

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