Lok Sabha Question No. 1862 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-02-12
Subject: Mental Health Pandemic
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Khagen Murmu

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

LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1862 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 TH February, 2021

## MENTAL HEALTH PANDEM IC

## 1862. SHRI KHAGEN MURMU:

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

- (a) whether the Government has noted that the country is confronted with a brewing pandemic of mental sickness like the rest of the world, if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government has adequate medical infr structure to handle this crisis, if so, the deta thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  is  aware  that conventional  psychiatry  medicines  have  side  effects and aggravate symptoms of mental sickness, due to absence of p athogenesis and specific medicines in this regard, if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) the steps taken by the Government to devise beneficial medical treatment for mental sickness and also create awareness amongst the citizens in this regard?

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

## (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

- (a)& (b): Government of India is not aware of any current pandemic of mental sickness in the of the world or any brewing pandemic of mental sickness in t he country. However, the Government conducted the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) of India through the National Institute of Me Health  and  Neuro  Sciences  (NIMHANS),  Bengaluru  in  2016  as  per  which  the  prevalence  of  mental disorders in adults  over t he  age  of  18  years  is  about  10.6%.  The  treatment  gap  for  mental  disorder ranged between 70% to 92% for different disorders.
- (c) : Like all medicines used for treatment of medical illnesses, conventional medicines in psyc also  have  similar  proportion s  of  side - effects.  Most  side - effects  of  psychiatric  medicines  when  they emerge, can be treated with readjusting doses, timings or by adding some counter - acting  medications. Like any other medicine, psychiatric medications too, have to comply with establish ed procedures for approval of their use. Further, several newer medications for mental illness, having lesser side - effects, are also available now.
- (d): To address the burden of mental disorders, the Government of India is implementing the Nati Mental  Health  Programme  (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 of in frastructure, equipment and human resource for mental healthcare.
- (iv) Promote  community  awareness  and  participation  in  the  delivery  of  mental  healthcar services.

Counselling in schools and colleges, work place stress management, life skills training, su prevention services and IEC activities for generation of awareness amongst the citizens, are major components of DMHP.