Lok Sabha Question No. 2168 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-15
Subject: Registered Mental Counselors
Ministry: HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
Asked by: Margani Bharat

## GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRY OFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2168 TO BE ANSWERED ON 15 TH DECEMBER, 2023

## REGISTERED MENTAL COUNSELORS

## 2168. SHRI MARGANI BHARAT:

Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFARE be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of registered mental counselors in the country;
- (b) whether there is a shortage of registered mental counselors vis-a-vis population of the country;
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the initiatives that have been taken to increase the number of registered mental counselors;
- (d) the details of the Government initiatives taken to improve the mental healthcare infrastructure in the country;
- (e) whether the Government proposes to increase mental healthcare centers along with PHCs across the country including remote and rural areas and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (f) the necessary steps taken to promote mental health awareness and support services in the country?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE (PROF. S. P. SINGH BAGHEL)

- (a) to (f) The data regarding number of registered mental counselors in the country, is not maintained centrally. As per information provided by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), there are 3551 Clinical Psychologists, 2828 Rehabilitation Psychologists and 209 Rehabilitation Practitioners registered in Central Rehabilitation register (CRR) maintained by RCI.

The Government conducted the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) of India through the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru in 2016 as per which the prevalence of mental disorders in adults over the age of 18 years is about 10.6%. The treatment gap for mental disorders ranged between 70% to 92% for different disorders.

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. Mental Health Services are also provisioned for 22 AIIMS. These services are also available under PMJAY.

The Government is also augmenting the availability of manpower to deliver 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 professionals through the Digital Academies, since 2018, established at the three Central Mental Health Institutes namely 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.

For providing affordable and accessible mental healthcare facilities in the country, the Government is implementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in the country. The District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) component of the NMHP has been sanctioned for implementation in 738 districts for which support is provided to States/UTs through the National Health Mission. Facilities made available under DMHP at the Community Health Centre(CHC) and Primary Health Centre(PHC) levels, include outpatient services, assessment, counselling/ psycho-social interventions, continuing care and support to persons with severe mental disorders, drugs, outreach services, ambulance services etc. In addition to above services there is a provision of 10 bedded in-patient facility at the District level.

In addition to the above, the Government is also taking steps to strengthen mental healthcare services at primary healthcare level. The Government has upgraded more than 1.6 lakh SHCs, PHCs, UPHCs and UHWCs to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Mental health services have been added in the package of services under Comprehensive Primary Health Care provided at these Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Operational guidelines on Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders (MNS) at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been released under the ambit of Ayushman Bharat.

Besides the above, the Government has launched a 'National Tele Mental Health Programme' on 10 th October, 2022, to further improve access to quality mental health counselling and care services in the country. As on 04.12.2023, 34 States/ UTs have set up 46 Tele MANAS Cells and have started mental health services and more than 4,81,000 calls have been handled on the helpline.

To generate awareness among masses about mental illnesses Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities are an integral part of the NMHP. At the District level, sufficient funds are provided to each District under the DMHP under the Noncommunicable Diseases flexi-pool of National Health Mission for IEC and awareness generation activities in the community, schools, workplaces, with community involvement. Under the DMHP various IEC activities such as awareness messages in local newspapers and radio, street plays, wall paintings etc. are undertaken by the States/UTs.