A clinic to treat Internet addiction will be part of a mental-health facility inaugurated on Monday.

Mono-Bigyan Bhaban, a venture of the Institute of Neurosciences, Kolkata (I-NK), stands on the West Range in Beckbagan, near the Bangladesh Deputy High Commission.

Internet addiction, rampant among children and adolescents, is a psychological disorder that affects mental health and needs immediate support from specialists, doctors said.

“Internet addiction is the tip of the iceberg. The root causes of the problem could be family problems, academic failure or peer pressure,” said Praveen Kumar, child and adolescent psychiatrist and head of the neuropsychiatry department at IN-K.

“The range of Internet addiction is wide. From three-year-olds to adolescents, we come across a variety of age groups,” he said.

The new facility will also have an early intervention centre for autism.

“Early intervention is very important in treating autism. Diagnosis and intervention before the child turns three makes a world of difference,” said Kumar.

The autism clinic in Beckbagan will focus on speech therapy, paediatric occupational therapy and behavioural therapy under the supervision of child psychiatrists.

“The earlier the intervention happens, the better. The therapy involves controlling hyperactivity and restlessness. It also includes sensory integration. Children with autism are scared to step on a rough surface. They often have difficulties with bright lights and sounds. Music overstimulates them. A comprehensive therapy treats all these problems,” said Chandrani Talukdar, clinical psychologist associated with the unit.

Shashi Panja, Bengal’s minister for women and child development and social welfare, inaugurated the three-storey facility.

“It offers a wide range of services, from outpatient consultations to inpatient care, integrating modern therapeutic practices with traditional methods to provide holistic treatment. This initiative underscores our commitment to de-stigmatising mental health issues and making mental health care accessible to all,” said a spokesperson of I-NK.

Apart from Internet addiction, there will be other specialty clinics dedicated to the treatment of problems like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and substance abuse.