Lok Sabha Question No. 182 (STARRED), answered on 2021-12-10
Subject: Mental Health Issues
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Manne Srinivas Reddy, Su Thirunavukkarasar

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.182 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2021

## MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

## *182. SHRI MANNE SRINIVAS REDDY: SHRI THIRUNAVUKKARASAR SU:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware that mental health issues in the country have been on the rise pre and post COVID-19;
- (b) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise and also the reasons therefor;
- (c)  whether  as  per  a  report  of  the  United  Nations  Children's  Fund  (UNICEF),  even before pandemic, an estimated 50 million children in the country were suffering from mental health issues;
- (d)  whether  the  Government  has  launched  any  project  to  address  the  issue  of  mental health  challenges  being  faced  by  the  children  and  if  so,  the  funds  allocated  for  the purpose; and
- (e)  the  other  corrective  measures  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  tackle  the increasing mental health issues?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE (DR MANSUKH MANDAVIYA)

- (a) to (e) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 182* FOR 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2021

(a)  &  (b):  As  per  the  National  Mental  Health  Survey  (NMHS)  conducted  by  the Government through National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, in 2016 the prevalence of mental disorders in adults over the age of 18 years is about 10.6%. Realizing the impact that COVID-19 may have on the mental  health  of  the  people,  the  Government  has  taken  a  number  of  initiatives  to provide psychosocial support during COVID-19. These initiatives include:

- (i) Setting  up  of  a  24/7  helpline  to  provide  psychosocial  support,  by  mental  health professionals, to the entire affected population, divided into different target groups viz children, adult, elderly, women and healthcare workers.
- (ii) Issuance of guidelines/ advisories on management of mental health issues, catering to different segments of the society.
- (iii) Advocacy  through  various  media  platforms  in  the  form  of  creative  and  audio-visual materials on managing stress and anxiety, and promoting an environment of support and care for all.
- (iv) Issuance  of  detailed guidelines  by  the National  Institute  of  Mental  Health  and Neurosciences (NIMHANS),  Bengaluru-  "Mental  Health  in  the  times  of  COVID-19 Pandemic  -  Guidance  for  General  Medical  and  Specialized  Mental  Health  Care Settings".
- (v) All  the  guidelines,  advisories  and  advocacy  material  can  be  accessed  on  Ministry  of Health and Family Welfare website under 'Behavioural Health - Psychosocial helpline' (https://www.mohfw.gov.in/).
- (vi) Online  capacity  building  of  health  workers  by  NIMHANS  in  providing  psychosocial support and training through (iGOT)-Diksha platform.

(c) UNICEF's global flagship publication, 'The State of the World's Children 2021; On My Mind: promoting, protecting and caring for children's mental health' has mentioned that  even  prior  to  the  COVID  pandemic  approximately  50  million  children  and adolescents  in  India  were  estimated  to  have  mental  health  problems.  Mental  health problems in children and adolescents are caused by interaction of multiple risk factors that  include  genetic  risk,  aberrant  child  development,  malnutrition,  chronic  medical illnesses, faulty parenting, academic stress, deviant peer influence, negative life events, exposure  to  traumatic  experiences  like  child  abuse,  bullying,  use  of  substances  like alcohol, cannabis etc.

(d)  &  (e)  To  address  the  burden  of  mental  disorders,  the  Government  of  India  is implementing  the  National  Mental  Health  Programme  (NMHP)  since  1982.  The Government is supporting implementation of the District Mental Health Programme

(DMHP) under NMHP in 692 districts of the country. To generate awareness among masses  about  mental  illnesses,  Information,  Education  and  Communication  (IEC) activities are an integral part of the NMHP. At District level, funds upto Rs.4 lakh per annum are provided to each District under  the  DMHP  under the  Non-communicable diseases  flexi-pool  of  National  Health  Mission  for  IEC  and  awareness  generation activities in the community, schools, workplaces, with community involvement. Under DMHP various  IEC  activities  such  as  awareness  messages  in  local  newspapers  and radio, street plays, wall paintings etc. are undertaken by the States/ UTs. Further, funds upto Rs.12 lakhs per annum are provided to each district supported under DMHP for targeted interventions with the following objectives:

- (i)  To  provide  class  teachers  with  facilitative  skill  to  promote  life  skill  amount  their students.
- (ii)  To  provide  the  class  teachers  with  knowledge  and  skills  to  identify  emotional conduct, scholastic and substance use problems in their students.
- (iii) To provide class teachers with a system of referral for students with psychological problems to the District Mental Health Team for inputs and treatment.
- (iv) To  involve other stakeholders like parents,  community  leaders  to  enhance development of adolescents etc.

Under District Mental Health Programme, fund of Rs. 84.13 Crore have been approved for States/UTs under National Health Mission  for the year 2020-21.

Under the Tertiary care component of National Mental Health Programme, 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.  In addition, the Government has also supported 19 Government medical colleges/institutions to strengthen 47 PG Departments in mental health specialities and for this scheme fund of Rs. 35 Crore have been allocated for the year 2020-21.

Funds allocated for the year 2020-21 to  03 (three) Mental Health Institutions, namely, National  Institute  of  Mental  Health  and  Neuro  Sciences  (NIMHANS),  Bengaluru, Lokopriya  Gopinath  Bordoloi  Regional  Institute  of  Mental  Health  (LGBRIMH), Tezpur, Assam, and Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP), Ranchi, under the administrative control of the Central Government  are as under:

| Name of the Institution   |   Funds Allocated (Rs. in Crore) |
|---------------------------|----------------------------------|
| NIMHANS, Bengaluru        |                           434.43 |
| LGBRIMH, Tezpur, Assam    |                            53.2  |
| CIP, Ranchi               |                           101.25 |