ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND
FAMILY WELFARE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)
(a): As per the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2016 published in the Lancet in October, 2018, Karnataka had the highest suicide death rate in the country in the year 2016. The State had a age-standardized Suicide Death Rate (SDR) of 30.7 per lakh population in 2016.
To address the burden of mental disorders, Government of India is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) since 1982. Under this Programme, the Government is supporting implementation of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) in 655 districts of the country with the objectives to:
i. Provide suicide prevention services, work place stress management, life skills training and counseling in schools and colleges.
ii. Provide mental health services including prevention, promotion and long term continuing care at different levels of district healthcare delivery system.
iii. Augment institutional capacity in terms of infrastructure, equipment and human resource for mental healthcare.
iv. Promote community awareness and participation in the delivery of mental healthcare services.
(b): The Government had conducted the first National Mental Health Survey through the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore. The survey report was released on 26th December, 2016. The major findings of the survey are as under:
i. The prevalence of mental disorders including common mental disorders, severe mental disorders, and alcohol and substance use disorders (excluding tobacco use disorder) in adults over the age of 18 years is about 10.6%.
ii. The prevalence of mental morbidity is high in urban metropolitan areas.
iii. Mental disorders are closely linked to both causation and consequences of several non-communicable disorders (NCD).
iv. Nearly 1 in 40 and 1 in 20 person suffer from past and current depression, respectively.
v. Neurosis and stress related disorders affect 3.5% of the population and was reported to be higher among females (nearly twice as much in males).
vi. Data indicate that 0.9 % of the survey population were at high risk of suicide.
vii. Nearly 50% of persons with major depressive disorders reported difficulties in carrying out their daily activities.
Apart from the above, there have been no long term population based studies in India to suggest that the number of persons suffering from mental illnesses are rising in India every year.
(c): With a view to increase the number of qualified psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychiatric social workers and psychiatric nurses in the country, the Government, under NMHP, is implementing manpower development schemes for establishment of Centres of Excellence and strengthening/ establishment of Post Graduate (PG) Departments in mental health specialties. Till date, support has been provided for establishment of 25 Centres of Excellence and strengthening/ establishment of 47 Post Graduate (PG) Departments in mental health specialties in the country. The Government is also augmenting the availability of manpower to deliver mental healthcare services in the underserved areas of the country by providing online training courses to various categories of general healthcare medical and para medical professionals through the Digital Academies established at the three Central Mental Health Institutes namely National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, Assam, and Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi.
(d): No proposal for establishment of an independent National Psychology Council in India is under consideration in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
(e): No proposal for establishment of separate Ministry of Mental Health is under consideration in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
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