Stable mind is an important factor to live a healthy and purposeful life. In India, at least 13.7 per cent population is suffering from various mental disorders, and it is reported that around 10.6 per cent of them require immediate interventions.
Although nearly 10 per cent of the people suffer from common mental disorders, 1.9 per cent are reported to have severe mental disorders.
The National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) has recently conducted a National Mental Health Survey to assess the condition of mental health in India.
That is not all. The higher dominance of schisophrenia, mood disorders and neurotic or stress-related disorders are found to be the main reasons for high mental morbidity in urban centres. Some of the important causes to this are fast-paced lifestyles, experiencing stress, complexities of living, a breakdown of support systems and challenges of economic instability.
In 2014, worried over the rising problem of mental health in India, the NIMHANS was appointed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to assess the condition of mental health in the country.
Post conducting a feasibility study in Kolar District, Karnataka, with a sample size of 3,190 individuals, the survey was initiated in the states of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Assam and Manipur by a team of senior professors from NIMHANS: G. Gururaj, Mathew Varghese, Vivek Benegal and Girish N.
With a sample size of 34,802 individuals, all important traits of mental illness including substance abuse, alcohol use disorder, tobacco use disorder, severe mental illness, depression, anxiety, phobia and post-traumatic stress disorder among others were assessed. A team of researchers, local teams of co-investigators and field workers used computer-generated random selection for primary data collection in the 12 states.
Although 10.6 per cent of people in the total surveyed population were currently evaluated to be having mental disorders, substantial variations in overall morbidity ranged from 5.8 per cent in Assam to 14.1 per cent in Manipur. Rates of prevalence less than 10 per cent were reported in Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. The rates of prevalence were between 10.7 per cent and 14.1 per cent in 8 of 12 states.
Even after it is revealed to the Union Health Ministry that, approximately three of four persons are experiencing severe mental disorders, huge gaps still exist in treatment.
The gap in treatment for all mental health disorders is reported to be more than 60 per cent except for epilepsy. In reality, accessing treatment and care for these mental disorders proves to be a costly affair as the affected families have to spend nearly `1,000 to `1,500 a month.
The pathetic state of the progress in treatment is evident from the study that around 80 per cent population with mental disorders failed to receive any treatment despite being ill for over 12 months because of the stigma related with mental disorders. Improper execution of schemes under the National Mental Health Programme is stated to be mainly responsible for this.
Highlighting that mental disorders are not given high priority in the agenda of public health and, health information system itself does not prioritise mental health, Dr. Gururaj also points to the fact of lack of mental health specialists in India.
He further adds that keeping in view the poor state of mental health treatment, it is of utmost importance to form a national commission on mental health by taking on board the specialists from the spheres of mental health, public health, social sciences and the judiciary to frame and monitor the mental health policies.
Below is the data concerning the prevalence of mental disorders in different states of India: • Manipur: 14.1 per cent
• Madhya Pradesh: 13.9 per cent
• Punjab: 13.4 per cent
• West Bengal: 13 per cent
• Tamil Nadu: 11.8 per cent
• Chhattisgarh: 11.7 per cent
• Kerala: 11.4 per cent
• Jharkhand: 11.1 per cent
• Rajasthan: 10.7 per cent
• Gujarat: 7.4 per cent
• Uttar Pradesh: 6.1 per cent
• Assam: 5.8 per cent
Important findings
• Common mental disorders such as depression, anxiety and substance use as amount to as high as 10 per cent in the total population.
• Depression affects almost 1 in 20, with females in the age group of 40 to 49 years at higher risk.
• Substance use disorder is prevalent in 22.4 per cent of the population above 18 years.
• Tobacco and alcohol use disorder affects the highest people.
• Nearly 1.9 per cent of the population have severe mental disorders
• These are detected more among males in urban areas.
• Although mental illness affects males more (13.9 per cent) as compared to females (7.5 per cent), some specific mental illnesses like mood disorders (depression, neurotic disorders, phobic anxiety disorders, etc.) are more prevalent in females.
• Women seem to be more vulnerable to neurosis and stress-related illness.
• Prevalence in teenagers aged between 13 and 17 years is 7.3 per cent.
As the trends have it that mental illness is emerging as one of the most important problems that India faces now, there is an urgency to take corrective and preventative steps, especially for the section that is more at risk due to such mental problems