Self-Reporting of Mental Illness in India

Self-Reporting of Mental Illness in India

News: As per the recent report by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur, self-reporting rates for mental health problems were notably low in India.

What is Mental Health?
• According to WHO, “Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in “.

Key Findings:
• Self-reporting of mental disorders in India is considerably lower than the actual burden of the disease indicating a significant gap in identifying and addressing mental health issues.
• It also revealed that that individuals with higher incomes were 1.73 times more inclined to report health problems compared to those with lower incomes. This indicates the presence of a socio-economic divide.
• With 66.1% of outpatient care and 59.2% of inpatient care, the private sector emerged as a major provider of mental health services.
• The average out-of-pocket expenditures for both hospitalization and outpatient care were significantly higher in the private sector as compared to the public sector.

What are Government initiatives to prevent Mental Health issues?
• The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017
• Rights of Persons with Disability, 2017 (Mental health as Disability)
• National Suicide Prevention Strategy: The strategy aims to reduce suicide mortality by 10% in the country by 2030.
• Ayushman Arogya Mandirs: Mental health services have been added in the package of services Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (HWC) Scheme.
• Tele MANAS
• Manodarpan Initiative
• Kiran Helpline
• National Mental Health Program

Way Forward
• Address Stigma surrounding the Issue
• Mental Health should be integral part of Public Health Programme
• Improve access to Mental health services, number of healthcare professionals.
• Train and empower ASHA workers on mental health issues so that Women and poor people in Rural areas at least can be taken care of.
• Increase spending on Mental healthcare and infrastructure
• Mental Health needs more attention especially since the impact it has had on minds and lifestyle of people since COVID-19 pandemic.