14 per cent of India's adult population suffers from mental illness: study
A very large proportion of Indians suffer from mental illness with a reported 14 per cent (150 million) Indian adults estimated to be suffering from a diagnosable mental illness and 1 per cent of the population expressing “suicidal risk” in the first ever National Mental Health Survey (NMHS).
The survey was was commissioned by the government of India and conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health & Neuro Sciences (Nimhans) in partnership with other stakeholders in 12 states besides Karnataka where the survey was conducted.
What makes the situation even more alarming is that the population at risk of mental disorder / illness comprises those who are in the prime of their productive years. Around 10 per cent of the population suffers from common mental illnesses, including depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).
A pilot survey on the mental health of children and adolescents also suggests that 7 per cent may have diagnosable mental health issues. What is even worse is the absence of mental healthcare services in a country which is reeling under a mental health crisis. “Out of 100 Indians suffering from mental illness, nearly 83 have not been treated,” said Dr Vivek Benegal, Professor of Psychiatry, Centre for Addiction Medicine, Nimhans. Dr Benegal along with Head of Department, Psychiatry, Nimhans, Dr Mathew Varghese and Dr G. Gururaj and Dr Girish N. from the Centre for Public Health, are the key investigators in the survey.
“While 14 per cent of the population suffers from diagnosable mental health issues, one per cent suffers from severe mental health disorders, like schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. Drug and alcohol dependence among men is much higher than in women with around 10 per cent of adult males found to be suffering from drug/substance or alcohol dependence. Women on the other hand are found to be more prone to depression than men,” Dr Benegal said.
The NMHS was commissioned two years ago by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to undertake a “nationally representative mental health study to understand the burden and patterns of mental health problems, examine treatment gap, healthcare utilisation patterns, disability and impact amongst those affected”. Later Nimhans with the help of stakeholders in the sample states undertook the gigantic task of uncovering the truth on India’s mental health and the survey is nothing short of an eye-opener.
The survey has drawn the immediate attention of political leaders, policy makers, health professionals, opinion-makers and society at large to the “huge burden of mental, behavioural and substance use disorders in India. Mental health should be given higher priority in the developmental agenda of India,” the NMHS has suggested.
