India is the second most populous nation in the world with a total population
being a little over 1.3 billion. About 13.7% of the population, a figure close
to 150 million Indians are in need of mental health services. Given this
number, it has been estimated that one in five Indians will experience a
mental health condition by the year 2020
Mental disorders have been found to contribute to high levels of disability in
India. The prevalence of disorders such as schizophrenia, mood, and neurotic
disorders has not only increased but is found to be two to three times higher
in urban metros. Substance abuse disorders, especially tobacco use and alcohol
abuse are highly prevalent and are increasing the economic and psychological
burden on families and our society.
Considering these figures, mental health treatment in India has its fair share
of challenges. In fact, despite various efforts at the national level,
currently, a significant deficit in the treatment of mental health disorders
exists in India. Almost all mental disorders, except epilepsy, are met with a
treatment gap of more than 60%2. This deficit is likely due to
various factors such as the stigma attached to seeking mental health services,
difficulty in accessing appropriate care in rural areas, and the economic
feasibility of accessing services.
A major role in the treatment gap is played by the paucity of mental health
professionals presently working in India. According to a recent survey, almost
all states in India are facing issues related to the availability of mental
health professionals. Ideally, the availability of 1 psychiatrist per lakh of
the population is the required standard to achieve optimum levels of
treatment2. However, due to the significantly low number of trained
psychiatrists
, there is a deficit in proper treatment services for the majority of the
population. For instance, states such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have
less than 0.2 psychiatrists per lakh available currently. While the state of
Punjab and West Bengal has approximately 0.6 psychiatrists per lakh.
These low numbers of professionals, leave the fabric of mental health
treatment riddled with increased demand issues. Numerous concerns have been
found to be associated with this trend. These include issues in graduate
training curriculums for
psychiatrists
and stigma associated with psychiatry as a discipline, to mention a
few3.
Other professionals such as
clinical psychologists
and psychiatric social workers are also lacking significantly in India. The
number of clinical psychologists available is significantly low in most
states. Statistics indicate that only 0.13
clinical psychologists
per lakh are available in states such as Meghalaya, and as low as 0.04 in West
Bengal and Tamil Nadu5. The number of psychiatric social workers
and psychiatric nurses is not encouraging either. Additional challenges are
posed by the fact that most of the mental health professionals available are
based in urban areas. Thus, the provision of mental health facilities in rural
areas has become even more difficult.
Various national-level policies and plans are aiming to meet this deficit and
provide hope for better provisions in the near future. However, effective and
timely utilization of available resources is urgently required based on
recommendations made by various national survey reports2,5.