Lok Sabha Question No. 4466 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-19
Subject: Deaths due to Suicides
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: P. C. Mohan, Santokh Singh Chaudhary

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4466 TO BE ANSWERED ON 19 TH JULY, 2019

## DEATHS DUE TO SUICID ES

## 4466. SHRI P.C. MOHAN: SHRI SANTOKH SINGH CHAUDHARY:

Will the Minister of HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  Karnataka  tops  in  the  number  of  suicidal  deaths  in  India  as  per  research published in Lancet Journal and if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;

(b) whether i t is a fact that the mental health conditions are rising in India every year, details thereof and the reasons therefor;

(c) the steps taken by the Government to increase the number of psychologists and psychi in public healthcare establ i hments;

(d)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  of  demand  for  establishing  an  independent  Natio Psychology Council in India and if so, the details thereof; and

(e) whether the Government has any plan to establish a separate Ministry of Mental Health and if so, details thereof and if not, reasons therefor?

## 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 20 State had a age - standardized Suicide Death Rate (SDR) of 30.7 per lakh populatio n in 2016.

To  address  the  burden  of  mental  disorders,  Government  of  India  is  implementing National Mental Health Programme (NMHP)  since 1982. Under this Programme, the Government is supporting implementation of the District Mental Health Programme (D MHP) in 655 districts of the country with the objectives to:

- i.Provide suicide prevention services, work place stress management, life skills train 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 resourc mental healthcare.
- iv.Promote  community  awareness  and  participation  in  the  delive ry  of  mental  healthcare services.

(b): The  Government  had  conducted  the  first  National  Mental  Health  Survey  through  th National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore.  The surve report was released on 26th December, 2016. T he major findings of the survey are as under:

- i.The  prevalence  of  mental  disorders  including  common  mental  disorders,  severe  ment disorders,  and  alcohol  and  substance  use  disorders  (excluding  tobacco  use  disorde 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 -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 higher among females (nearly twice as much in males).
- vi.Data indicate that 0.9 % of the survey population were at high risk of suic ide.
- vii.Nearly 50% of persons with major depressive disorders reported difficulties in carryi their daily activities.

Apart from the above, there have been no long term population based studies in Ind suggest that the number of persons suffering f rom mental illnesses are rising in India every year.

(c): With  a  view  to  increase  the  number  of  qualified  psychiatrists,  clinical  psychol psychiatric social  workers and psychiatric nurses in the country, the Government, under is implementin g manpower development schemes for establishment of Centres of Excellence and strengthening/ establishment of Post Graduate (PG) Departments in mental health specia Till  date,  support  has  been  provided  for  establishment  of  25  Centres  of  Excellenc d strengthening/ establishment of 47 Post Graduate (PG) Departments in mental health speci in  the  country.  The  Government  is  also  augmenting  the  availability  of  manpower  to  del 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  profess through the Digital Academies established at the three Central Mental Health Institutes National  Institute  of  Mental  Health  and  Ne uro  Sciences,  Bengaluru,  Lokopriya  Gopinath Bordoloi  Regional  Institute  of  Mental  Health,  Tezpur,  Assam,  and  Central  Institut Psychiatry, Ranchi.

(d): No proposal for establishment of an independent National Psychology Council in Indi under consi deration in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

(e): No  proposal  for  establishment  of  separate  Ministry  of  Mental  Health  is  un consideration in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.