India’s mental health crisis is growing rapidly
A PPP between State and private mental health professionals can help
Last week, V Radhika Reddy jumped off the fifth floor of her Hyderabad apartment and left behind a suicide note that said: “My brain is my enemy.” Depression may have driven the 38-year-old news presenter to end her life, but she isn’t the only one. With more than 300 million cases around the world, depression is the single largest public health problem in the world. According to the data journalism website, Indiaspend, at present, people with mental illnesses account for nearly 6.5% of India’s population. By 2020, the number is estimated to be 20% — or one in five people suffering from a mental illness. Although there is little government data on the linkage between mental illnesses and suicides, psychiatrists say 90% of those who end their lives are likely to be suffering from a mental disorder. Despite this, India spends much less than the rest of the world on mental health issues (0.06% of its health budget on mental healthcare) and has an acute shortage of professionals who can help people fight mental disorders.
Worryingly, the age profile of mental health patients is getting younger. The National Mental Health Survey 2015-16 estimated that nearly one in seven teenagers growing up in India’s metros could be suffering from mental health disorders.
Even as technology is seen as a trigger for mental health problems, it can also prove to be a solution for intervention. One of the recommendations of the new Mental Healthcare Bill last year, which will be implemented in July 2018, is the provision of medical care to each of the 60 million citizens suffering from mental health conditions. Although the mechanics of the funding are yet to be spelled out, a public-private partnership between mental health professionals in the government and private hospitals to train physicians at the village and block level through video conferencing — to identify and provide basic treatment and drugs for depression and anxiety — could be the way out.