<p class="title">The case of 11 members of a family found hanging in north Delhi could be the world's first case of shared psychotic disorder-induced mass suicide, according to one of India's topmost mental health experts.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While the world had seen mass suicide influenced by the leader of a cult or sect – the Jim Jones incident in 1978 – mass suicide from a psychotic disorder was never heard of and the Burari case might be the first one in the world, said Nimesh Desai, director of Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Delhi Police is planning to carry out a psychological autopsy of the family members based on the documents that were retrieved from the house and interviewing people with whom the family members interacted in the last one-two years.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Such a reconstruction may actually help unfold the mystery," Desai said in an interaction with journalists here on Friday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A psychological autopsy attempts to explain why a person has taken his life by analysing medical records, interviewing friends and family and conducting research into his state of mind prior to death.</p>.<p class="bodytext">By going through the notes recovered from the spot, mental health experts try to gain an insight into the psyche of the deceased.</p>.<p class="bodytext">IHBAS may be roped in for the psychological investigation, though they are not part of the investigation at the moment.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While the Delhi Police has retrieved documents from the house, it has also accessed the call data records of the each of the 11 family members.</p>.<p class="bodytext">More than 100 people, who spoke to them, have already been questioned by the police in search of a breakthrough.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Desai said at least one of the members in the family (Lalit Bhatia, the younger brother) manifested symptoms of mental illness and deserved treatment.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But he was never treated possibly because the family members didn't recognise his mental illness.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The unfortunate incident also highlights the need to establish mental health services for the common man.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The Burari incident is an eye opener and wake up call for the administration to create mental health services," said Desai.</p>
<p class="title">The case of 11 members of a family found hanging in north Delhi could be the world's first case of shared psychotic disorder-induced mass suicide, according to one of India's topmost mental health experts.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While the world had seen mass suicide influenced by the leader of a cult or sect – the Jim Jones incident in 1978 – mass suicide from a psychotic disorder was never heard of and the Burari case might be the first one in the world, said Nimesh Desai, director of Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Delhi Police is planning to carry out a psychological autopsy of the family members based on the documents that were retrieved from the house and interviewing people with whom the family members interacted in the last one-two years.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Such a reconstruction may actually help unfold the mystery," Desai said in an interaction with journalists here on Friday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">A psychological autopsy attempts to explain why a person has taken his life by analysing medical records, interviewing friends and family and conducting research into his state of mind prior to death.</p>.<p class="bodytext">By going through the notes recovered from the spot, mental health experts try to gain an insight into the psyche of the deceased.</p>.<p class="bodytext">IHBAS may be roped in for the psychological investigation, though they are not part of the investigation at the moment.</p>.<p class="bodytext">While the Delhi Police has retrieved documents from the house, it has also accessed the call data records of the each of the 11 family members.</p>.<p class="bodytext">More than 100 people, who spoke to them, have already been questioned by the police in search of a breakthrough.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Desai said at least one of the members in the family (Lalit Bhatia, the younger brother) manifested symptoms of mental illness and deserved treatment.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But he was never treated possibly because the family members didn't recognise his mental illness.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The unfortunate incident also highlights the need to establish mental health services for the common man.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The Burari incident is an eye opener and wake up call for the administration to create mental health services," said Desai.</p>
