7.3% Of Adolescents (13-17) Struggle With Mental Health Disorders: Centre Releases Data
New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Friday, December 5, revealed that the prevalence of mental health disorders in the age group 13-17 years is about 7.3%, as per the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS), 2015-16 of India conducted by the Government through the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru in 12 States of the country.
AAP MP Raj Kumar Chabbewal had posed the question regarding the issue, seeking details on the steps government took to prevent the rise in the mental health cases among the younger population the county
The health ministry in its reply explained that the government is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in the country, to address the burden of mental disorders. The government has further made available the facilities under DMHP at the Community Health Centre(CHC) and Primary Health Centre(PHC) levels for all including elderly, inter- alia, include outpatient services, assessment, counselling/ psycho-social interventions, continuing care and support to persons with severe mental disorders, drugs, outreach services, ambulance services.
There is also a provision of 10 bedded in-patient facility at the District level in addition to above services. The objectives of the DMHP include providing suicide prevention services, work place stress management, life skills training and counselling in schools and colleges, and to provide mental health services including prevention, promotion and long-term continuing care at different levels of district healthcare delivery system.
Under the tertiary care component of NMHP, 25 Centres of Excellence have been sanctioned to increase the intake of students in PG departments in mental health specialities as well as to provide tertiary level treatment facilities. Further, the Government has also supported 19 Government medical colleges/institutions to strengthen 47 PG Departments in mental health specialties, the ministry pointed out.
Apart from that, there are also 47 Government run mental hospitals in the country, including 3 Central Mental Health Institutions, viz. 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.
