‘Must expand mental health talks and boost psychiatrist numbers’

New Delhi: There is a need to bring about a massive shift in the way we talk about mental health in the community and advocate an increase in the number of psychiatrists and mental health interventions in schools, the economic survey 2023-2024 has said.

The survey tabled in the Parliament on Monday acknowledged that mental health is a less visible yet an impactful driver of individual and national development.

There remain certain gaps in the existing programmes which need to be addressed to maximise their effectiveness, it said. For instance, doubling the efforts to increase the number of psychiatrists, from 0.75 psychiatrists per lakh population in 2021 to the WHO norm of three per lakh population (Garg, Kumar and Chandra 2019), the report pointed out.

The report stressed developing comprehensive guidelines for the excellence centres’ services alongside mental healthcare professionals.

The report called for nurturing peer support networks, self-help groups, and community-based rehabilitation programmes to destigmatise mental disorders and develop a sense of belongingness in their victims.

The report suggested developing an age-appropriate mental health curriculum for teachers and students and encouraging early intervention and positive language.

“However, the fundamental issue of the lack of awareness about mental health and the stigma surrounding it can render any sincerely crafted programme unfeasible. Hence, there is a need to bring about a paradigm shift and utilise a bottom-up, whole-of-community approach in addressing the topic of mental health,” it said.

The report called for breaking the stigma around mental health by stopping being in denial about its existence.