Advancing Mental Healthcare-II
Mental health services have been added in the package of services under comprehensive primary healthcare provided at the Ayushman Arogya Mandirs
As part of the National Mental Health Programme, in 2024, 25 Centres of Excellence were sanctioned to be set up to train more postgraduate students in mental health and provide advanced treatment.
A total of 47 PG Departments in mental health have been established or upgraded in 19 Government medical colleges. Mental health services are also being introduced in 22 newly established AIIMS.
Forty-seven Government-run mental hospitals, including three Central mental health institutions, viz. 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.
Services integration
Under Ayushman Bharat, the Government has upgraded more than 1.73 lakh Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Mental health services have been added in the package of services under comprehensive primary healthcare provided at these Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. These HWCs provide:
Basic counselling and psychiatric medication at PHC levels.
Training for general physicians to handle mild-to-moderate mental health conditions.
Linkages to district hospitals for advanced psychiatric care.
This initiative ensures that mental healthcare is available in both urban and rural areas, reducing dependence on specialised hospitals and making psychiatric care more community-centric.
Govt policies, schemes
National Mental Health Programme (1982): Recognising the growing burden of mental disorders and the shortage of mental health services, India launched the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in 1982. The primary goal was to ensure that mental healthcare becomes an integral part of the general healthcare system, rather than being confined to specialised hospitals.
Its key components include: District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) was introduced under NMHP to expand community mental health services; covers 767 districts; provides counselling, outpatient services, suicide prevention programmes, and awareness initiatives.
NIMHANS Act (2012): This was a significant step towards enhancing mental health education and research in India. Under this Act, the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, was declared an Institute of National Importance. This recognition allowed NIMHANS to expand its academic and research capabilities, making it the premier institution for psychiatry, neuropsychology, and mental health sciences in the country.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2016): The Act, which replaced the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Act, 1995, expanded the definition of disability to include mental illness and introduced stronger legal protections for individuals with psychosocial disabilities. The Act aligns with India’s commitment to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and aims to ensure equality, dignity, and non-discrimination for persons with disabilities, including those with mental health conditions.
National Mental Healthcare Act (2017): It was enacted to ensure the right to mental healthcare services, protect the dignity and rights of individuals with mental illness, and align India’s mental health laws with international standards, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The Act replaced the Mental Health Act of 1987 and introduced several progressive changes to mental health care and services in India like the right to affordable and quality mental healthcare services and the decriminalisation of suicide in India.National Health Policy (2017): The National Health Policy, 2017 was a landmark that acknowledged mental health as a national health priority. The policy aimed to address mental health issues through a multi-pronged approach, integrating mental healthcare into primary healthcare, strengthening human resources, and improving treatment accessibility. (To be continued…)