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Rising Mental Health Issues Among Indians
Context:
The Economic Survey 2023-24 highlights that mental health issues have a broader impact on productivity than physical health issues. Addressing mental health is essential for both economic and health reasons.
Key Insights from the Survey:
- Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders: The National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) 2015-16, reveals that 10.6% of adults in India suffer from mental disorders, with treatment gaps ranging from 70% to 92% for various conditions.
- Mental health issues are more prevalent in urban metro regions (13.5%) compared to rural (6.9%) and urban non-metro areas (4.3%).
- Impact on Youth: NCERT’s Mental Health & Wellbeing of School Students Survey indicated worrying trends among adolescents, exacerbated by COVID-19.
- Key statistics include:
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- 11% of students reported feeling anxious, while 14% experienced extreme emotions and 43% faced mood swings, with academic pressures cited as a primary source of anxiety.
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- Economic Implications: The survey highlights that mental health issues lead to significant productivity losses due to absenteeism, decreased productivity, and increased healthcare costs.
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- It asserts that mental health impacts the economy more broadly than physical health issues, necessitating urgent attention from policymakers.
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Policy Recommendations and Implementation Gaps:
- Current Policy Landscape: India recognizes mental health as a crucial component of overall well-being, with several policies in place.
- For example, National Mental Health Policy, National Tele Mental Health Programme, etc.
- However, the survey emphasises the need for better implementation and addressing existing program gaps.
- Increase in Mental Health Professionals: The report stresses the need to double the number of psychiatrists from 0.75 per lakh population to the WHO norm of 3 per lakh.
- This is crucial for addressing the existing treatment gap.
- Integrating Mental Health in Education: The survey suggests developing an age-appropriate mental health curriculum for schools, encouraging early intervention, and promoting positive language around mental health.
- Community interactions and balanced use of technology are also recommended.
- Stigma and Awareness: Survey highlights the importance of overcoming stigma associated with mental health, which often prevents individuals from seeking help.
- A community-based approach is advocated to break this stigma.
- For example, Atmiyata, a community volunteer service in Gujarat, identifies and supports people experiencing mental health issues.
- Impact of Internet Usage: Overuse of internet and social media particularly among children and adolescents is linked to rising mental health issues.
- National Commission for Protection of Child Rights 2021 study highlighted that 23.8% of children use smartphones in bed, and 37.2% experience decreased concentration due to smartphone use.
- Tripartite Compact(Economic Survey 2023-24): A significant component of the tripartite compact is the emphasis on the mental and physical health of citizens.
- The compact recognises that a healthy population is crucial for sustainable economic growth. It advocates for initiatives that promote health and well-being and ensure that citizens have access to necessary healthcare services.
Initiatives and Policies Taken by Government:
- National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP) :
- It was launched in October 2022 to improve access to mental health counselling and care services.
- 36 Tele Mental Health and Normalcy Augmentation Systems (MANAS) Cells have been established by 25 States/UTs to provide mental health services.
- The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, serves as the National Apex Centre, overseeing Tele MANAS activities across India.
- National Mental Health Programme
- National Mental Health Policy
- Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram’s adolescent-friendly health clinics (AFHCs) and peer education programmes.