About 60 million people in India suffer from mental disorders

About 60 million people in India suffer from mental disorders
At least 60 million Indians -- a number more than the population of South Africa -- suffer from mental disorders, even as the country lags the world in medical professionals and spending on mental-health issues.

While suicides caused from insanity declined from 7 per cent in 2010 to 5.4 per cent in 2014, more than 7,000 people killed themselves due to mental disorders. The government has commissioned a national mental health survey through the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, to estimate the number of mental patients and utilisation patterns of mental health services. Started on June 1, 2015, the study interviewed 27,000 respondents by April 5, 2016 according to a reply in the Lok Sabha from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. India is short of health professionals to address mental issues, particularly at the district and sub-district levels. There are 3,800 psychiatrists, 898 clinical psychologists, 850 psychiatric social workers and 1,500 psychiatric nurses nationwide, according to a reply by the ministry in the Lok Sabha in December 2015. This means there were three psychiatrists per million people, according to data from WHO, 18 times fewer than the Commonwealth norm of 5.6 psychiatrists per 100,000 people. Here are five mental health issues that are common in India.

By this estimate, India is short of 66,200 psychiatrists. Similarly, based on the global average of 21.7 psychiatric nurses per 100,000 people, India needs 269,750 nurses. The Mental Health Care Bill, 2013, which provides for protection and promotion of rights of persons with mental illness during the delivery of health care in institutions and in the community, was unanimously passed by a voice vote in the Rajya Sabha on August 8, 2016. The new Bill has increased the funding to centres of excellence in mental health, from Rs 30 crore ($4.5 million) to Rs 33.70 crore per centre. As many as 15 centres of excellence in mental healthand 35 post-graduate training departments in mental health specialties have been funded to address the shortage of mental health professionals nationwide. (02.09.2016 – In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform, with whom Prachi Salve is an analyst. The views expressed are those of IndiaSpend. (Read: Engage with nature to reduce depression and enhance mental health)

Source: IANS

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