Lok Sabha Question No. 900 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-05
Subject: Mental Health of Elderly Population
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Achyutananda Samanta

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 900 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH FEBRUARY, 2021

## MENTAL HEALTH OF ELD ERLY POPULATION

## 900. SHRI ACHYUTANAN DA SAMANTA:

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

(a) whether the Government is aware that a large percentage of the elderly population in India is suffering from probable major depression and deteriorating mental health symptoms accordin g to the latest Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) Report;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government is considering taking steps to help the elderly population manage their mental health better, if so, the details thereof;

(d) the d etails of the steps being taken by the Government to ensure there are more qualified professionals to address the rising mental health cases in the country; and

(e)  whether  the  Government  is  considering  putting mental  health  related  expenses  under  the ambit of medical insurance so as to ease the burden on the patients, if so, the detail  thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) : As per the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) report, a significant proportion elderly population from India has probable major depression.

(b) : in the LASI, the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES - D) scale was used to identify  the  presence of  depressive  symptoms;  and  the  Composite  International  Diagnostic Interview - Short  Form  (CIDI - SF)  scale,  a  structured  interview  scale,  was  used  for  diagnosi probable major depression. The overall proportion of older adults in India age 45 and ol screened positive for depressive symptoms based on the CES - D scale is 28%; 30% of the elderly age 60 and above have depressive symptoms, compared to 26% of older adults age 45 - 59.

The prevalence of probable major depression (based on CIDI - SF) among older adults age 45 and above in India is 8%. The prevalence of probable major depression among the elderl 60  and  above  (8.3%)  is  ten  times  higher  than  the  self - reported  prevalence  o f diagnosed depression  (0.8%),  suggesting  a  markedly  higher  burden  of  undiagnosed  depression.  T

comparison of CES - D and CIDI - SF outcomes suggest that in India, close to a third of elderly 60 and above have had depressive symptoms, whereas one in ever y twelve elderly age 60 and above have had probable major depression.

Among the elderly age 60 and above, the prevalence of probable major depression higher among women (9%) than men (7%), and those in rural (9%) than those in urban are (6%), among t he widowed (10%), those living alone (13%), Scheduled caste (10%), and thos who worked in the past but are not currently working (10%).

(c): To address the burden of mental disorders, the Government of India is implementing National Mental Health Pr ogramme (NMHP). The Government is supporting implementation of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) under NMHP in 692 districts of the country with the objectives to:

(i) Provide suicide prevention services, work place stress management, life skills training and counselling 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 o f infrastructure, equipment and human resource for mental healthcare.

(iv)Promote  community  awareness  and  participation  in  the  delivery  of  mental  healthca services.

(d): With a view to augment the availability of qualified manpower in field of mental heal the Government,  under  the  National  Mental  Health  Programme  (NMHP),  is  implementing manpower development schemes for establishment of Centres of Excellence and strength ening/ establishment of Post Graduate (PG) Departments in mental health specialties. Till date, has been provided for  establishment of 25  Centres of  Excellence  and strengtheni establishment of 47 Post Graduate (PG) Departments in four mental hea lth specialties viz. (i) Psychiatry, (ii) Clinical Psychology, (iii) Psychiatric Nursing, and (iv) Psychiatric So in the country.

The  Government  is  also  augmenting  the  availability  of  manpower  to  deliver  ment healthcare services in the underser ved areas of the country by providing  online training course to various categories of general healthcare medical and para medical professionals thro Digital  Academies  established  at  the  three  Central  Mental  Health  Institutes  namely  Na Instit ute  of  Mental  Health  and  Neuro  Sciences,  Bengaluru,  Lokopriya  Gopinath  Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, Assam, and Central Institute of Psychiatry, R

(e): As  per  Section  21  (4)  of  the  Mental  Healthcare  Act,  2017,  every  insurer  s hall  make provision for medical insurance for treatment of mental illness on the same basis as is for treatment of physical illness. The Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of vide  order  dated  16 th August,  2018  has  directed  all  insurance  companies  to  comply  with  the aforesaid provision of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017.