The recent suicide in Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT-Delhi) has raised the concerns about mental health in India.

What is mental health?

• Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to cope with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well, and contribute to their community. 
• It is an integral component of health and well-being that underpins our individual and collective abilities to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in. 
• Mental health is a basic human right.

Key Aspects of Mental Health

• Emotional Well-being: Involves understanding, managing, and expressing feelings effectively. It includes the ability to handle stress, experience a range of emotions, and cope with life’s challenges.
• Psychological Well-being: Refers to having a sense of self-worth, understanding oneself, and possessing the capacity to manage thoughts and emotions.
• Social Well-being: Involves having healthy relationships, being able to interact with others, and contributing positively to society.

Why is Mental Health Important?

• Affects Overall Well-being: Mental health is crucial to our overall well-being. It influences how we think, feel, and act, impacting our ability to lead fulfilling lives, cope with stress, and build meaningful relationships.
• Improves Productivity: Good mental health enhances focus, decision-making, and cognitive abilities, leading to higher productivity at work and better academic performance. It supports personal growth and achieving life goals.
• Physical Health Connection: Mental health and physical health are deeply connected. Poor mental health can contribute to physical health problems like heart disease, diabetes, and weakened immune systems. Conversely, good mental health promotes better physical health.
• Promotes Healthy Relationships: Mental well-being fosters empathy, understanding, and effective communication, helping to create and maintain positive relationships with family, friends, and colleagues.
• Prevents Long-term Mental Health Issues: Maintaining mental health through self-care and early intervention can prevent the development of serious mental health conditions like depression, anxiety, and substance use disorders. Early support ensures better outcomes and quality of life.

Key Statistics on Mental Health in India

• Prevalence of Mental Health Issues: According to the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) 2015-2016, approximately 150 million adults in India are living with mental disorders, requiring access to mental health services .
  • Around 7.3% of individuals aged 13-17 years in India suffer from severe mental illness .
• Suicide and Mental Health: Mental health-related suicides have risen by 44% between 2018 and 2022 .
  • In 2022, 10,365 men (about 72%) and 4,234 women (about 28%) died by suicide linked to mental health issues .
• Treatment Gap: The treatment gap for mental disorders in India is alarmingly high. For alcohol use disorders, the treatment gap is as high as 86%, and for other mental disorders, it is over 60%, except for epilepsy .
  • Only 29% of people with psychosis and one-third of people with depression receive formal mental health care .
• Psychiatrists and Healthcare Accessibility: India has just 0.75 psychiatrists per 1 lakh population, much lower than the WHO recommended standard of 3 psychiatrists per 1 lakh population .
  • A shortage of mental health professionals is a significant challenge, with an estimated 30,000 psychiatrists, 37,000 psychiatric nurses, and 38,000 clinical psychologists needed to meet the population’s mental health demands.
• Impact of COVID-19: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly exacerbated mental health issues, leading to a 25% increase in suicide-related mental health deaths in 2020 compared to 2019 .

Reasons for Mental Sickness in India

• Socioeconomic Factors: The WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan indicates that poverty and lack of economic stability are major contributors to mental health issues, particularly among vulnerable populations like children and marginalized communities. 
  • People facing financial insecurity often experience chronic stress and anxiety.
• Stigma and Social Pressure: According to the WHO Mental Health Action Plan, people suffering from mental health conditions often face significant social stigma, making it difficult for them to seek help. 
  • This stigma is prevalent across all sectors, from education to workplaces, and significantly hinders the availability of mental health services.
• Academic and Job Pressure
  • Educational Stress: Data from the National Mental Health Survey (2016), suggest that high academic expectations, particularly in competitive environments like IITs and medical colleges, contribute to mental health issues like depression and suicide. 
  • Workplace Pressure: The job-related stress, long working hours, and workplace discrimination are linked to rising cases of burnout, depression, and anxiety.
• Social Isolation and Family Issues
  • Family Expectations: According to various studies and reports in India, including those by NIMHANS, the rising pressure from family expectations, particularly in academic performance and career choices, is linked to a significant increase in mental health issues among students.
  • Breakdown of Traditional Family Support: The WHO’s Mental Health Action Plan emphasizes that the breakdown of family support systems, especially in urbanization, leads to social isolation, which can result in depression and anxiety.
• Substance Abuse: The NIMHANS report and the WHO Mental Health Action Plan stress that substance abuse, particularly alcohol and drug addiction, significantly contributes to the rising rates of mental disorders. 
  • This has become a growing concern in both rural and urban settings.
• Gender Discrimination
  • Women and Mental Health: The 2016 National Mental Health Survey highlighted that women are more likely to experience depression and anxiety due to gender-based violence and societal pressures.
  • WHO’s Mental Health Action Plan emphasizes that women suffer disproportionately from mental health issues due to economic marginalization and gender inequality.
• Influence of Technology and Social Media
  • Cyberbullying and Online Harassment: With the rise of social media, young people in particular are facing increased rates of cyberbullying and online harassment, which can lead to feelings of worthlessness, anxiety, and depression.
  • Social Media Addiction: Excessive use of social media has been linked to low self-esteem, social comparison, and mental exhaustion, especially among adolescents and young adults.

Government Initiatives and Policies for Mental Health in India

• National Mental Health Programme (NMHP, 1982)
  • Objective: Provide affordable mental healthcare through primary health centers.
  • Components:
    • District Mental Health Programme (DMHP): Provides counseling, crisis intervention, and outreach in 743 districts.
    • Manpower Development: Trains general physicians in mental health.
• National Mental Health Policy, 2014
  • Vision: Promote mental health, prevent mental illness, and ensure access to care.
  • Priority Areas: Vulnerable populations, community participation, stigma reduction, and human rights protections.
  • Align with WHO’s Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030.
• Mental Healthcare Act (2017)
  • Decriminalizes Suicide: Attempting suicide is no longer a crime.
  • Rights-Based Approach: Guarantees access to mental healthcare as a fundamental right.
  • Insurance Parity: Mandates coverage for mental health at par with physical health.
  • Advance Directives: Allows individuals to specify treatment preferences.
• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016): Recognizes mental illness as a disability, ensuring rights and benefits.
• National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP, 2022)
  • Initiative by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in partnership with National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS).
  • Provides tele-counseling services via the Tele-MANAS platform to increase mental health access nationwide.
    • Tele-MANAS Helpline: Toll-free 24/7 counseling (14416 or 1-800-891-4416) in 20 languages.
• National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2022)
  • Goal: Reduce suicide mortality by 10% by 2030.
  • Key Pillars:
    • Health Sector: Strengthen crisis intervention services.
    • Education: Promote resilience in schools/colleges.
    • Media: Responsible reporting on suicides.
    • Surveillance: Improve data collection (e.g., National Suicide Registry pilot).
• Supreme Court Interventions (2023–2024)
  • Directed the formation of a National Task Force (March 2024) to address student suicides and mental health crises on campuses.
• Integrated Schemes
  • Ayushman Bharat – Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs): Provides basic mental health services (counseling, screening) at primary healthcare levels.
  • Rashtriya Kishor Swasthya Karyakram (RKSK, 2014): Focuses on adolescent mental health through school programs and peer education.
  • KIRAN Helpline (2020): Ministry of Social Justice’s 24/7 mental health helpline for distress, depression, and suicide prevention.
• State-Level Initiatives
  • Kerala: First state with a Mental Health Policy (2013)
    • “Athanippu” program for community-based care.
  • Tamil Nadu: “Mano Amma” scheme offers free psychiatric treatment.
  • Maharashtra: “Mansapurti Yojana” for rural mental health camps.

Need for a Paradigm Shift in Mental Health Policies in India

• Focus on Prevention and Awareness: Mental health policies mainly focus on treatment after the onset of illness.
  • There should be a greater focus on prevention, early intervention, and mental health education at the school and community levels to reduce the stigma and increase awareness.
• Rights-Based and Inclusive Approach: Mental health policies often exclude marginalized groups, such as women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and minorities.
  • Policies must adopt a rights-based approach, ensuring equal access to mental health care for all groups and addressing discrimination and marginalization in healthcare systems.
• Community-Based Mental Health Care: Mental health care is mostly institutionalized, with a focus on hospitals and asylums.
  • There should be an emphasis on community-based mental health care that is accessible, cost-effective, and less stigmatizing.
• Enhancing Mental Health Research and Data Collection: Mental health data is often limited and fragmented, hindering effective policy-making.
  • A robust system for mental health research, data collection, and monitoring should be developed to better understand the scope of mental health issues and inform policy and interventions.

Challenges with Mental Healthcare in India

• Stigma Surrounding Mental Health: Mental health remains a taboo subject in many parts of India. People suffering from mental health conditions are often stigmatized, leading to reluctance to seek help.
  • The WHO Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan (2013–2030) highlights stigma as a significant barrier to mental health care globally. In India, this leads to the underreporting of mental health issues and contributes to delayed treatment.
• Limited Access to Mental Health Care: The WHO Mental Health Atlas highlighted that 85% of people with severe mental health issues in low-income countries, including India, do not receive the treatment they need. 
• Limited Mental Health Workforce: There is a severe shortage of mental health professionals in India, with just 0.75 psychiatrists per 1 lakh people, far below the WHO recommended 3 psychiatrists per lakh.
• Inadequate Mental Health Infrastructure: Mental health facilities in India are limited, particularly in rural areas. 
  • Most services are concentrated in urban centers, leaving large gaps in accessibility for rural populations.
• Lack of Integration into Primary Healthcare: Mental health services are often separated from general healthcare, leading to fragmented care and delayed interventions.
• Low Public Awareness and Education on Mental Health: There is minimal awareness and education about mental health issues, particularly in rural areas, where people may not recognize symptoms or understand the importance of seeking help.
• Neglect of Mental Health in Policy: India has a mental health policy (2014) and the Mental Healthcare Act (2017) but implementation is weak due to low funding, manpower shortage, and bureaucratic hurdles.

Way Forward for Mental Health in India

• Strengthen Mental Health Infrastructure: Increase the number of mental health facilities across urban and rural areas, with a focus on integrating mental health care into primary healthcare.
  • Establish more community mental health programs to ensure accessibility and reduce the dependency on large institutions.
• Increase Funding and Resources: Prioritize funding for mental health services, ensuring sufficient resources for the implementation of the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 and National Mental Health Policy.
  • Allocate funds for training mental health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, and counselors, particularly in rural and underserved areas.
• Focus on Prevention and Early Intervention: Launch nationwide mental health awareness campaigns to reduce stigma and educate people about mental health, focusing on early identification of issues.
  • Implement mental health education programs in schools and workplaces to equip individuals with coping skills and knowledge of available resources.
• Strengthen Policy and Legal Frameworks: Ensure inclusive policies that cater to marginalized groups (women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, children) and protect their rights in seeking mental health services.
  • Integrate mental health care with other health and social policies to address socioeconomic and cultural determinants that impact mental health.
• Foster Public-Private Partnerships: Encourage collaboration between the public and private sectors, including NGOs, corporations, and educational institutions, to expand mental health services and create sustainable models for care.
  • Expand the use of tele-mental health services, especially in remote areas, to provide timely support and reduce barriers to access.
• Focus on Mental Health Research: Establish a national mental health registry and strengthen research to track mental health trends, identify high-risk populations, and develop evidence-based interventions.
  • Align with global mental health frameworks and collaborate internationally to adopt best practices in mental health care.
• Promote Social and Cultural Sensitivity: Develop mental health programs that are culturally sensitive and consider the socio-cultural context of communities.
  • Address the social stigma surrounding mental health through media campaigns, advocacy, and involving community leaders in breaking down cultural taboos.

Conclusion

The recent suicide at IIT-Delhi underscores the urgent need for a paradigm shift in India’s mental health policies, moving from reactive treatment to proactive prevention, integration with primary healthcare, and community-based care. By addressing socioeconomic disparities, reducing stigma, and strengthening infrastructure and research, India can foster a holistic, rights-based approach to mental health, ensuring well-being for all its citizens.

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