Around 5 crore people suffer from common mental disorders

Around five crore people suffer from common mental disorders like depression and anxiety, and more than 7,000 people committed suicide last year, the Government said on Friday.“In 2005, the National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health reported that 10-20 million (1-2 per cent of population) suffered from severe mental disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and nearly 5 crore (5 per cent of population) from common mental disorders like depression and anxiety, yeilding an overall estimate of 6.5 per cent of population,” Health Minister JP Nadda said in lok Sabha.

“As per the accidental deaths and suicides in India reports published by National Crime Records Bureau, the incidents of suicides due to mental illness in 2012 was 7,769, 2013 was 8,006 and 2014 was 7,104,” Nadda said.He also informed that there are 3,800 phychiatrists, 898 clinical phychologists, 850 psychiatric social workers and 1,500 psychiatric nurses in the country. There are 3 centrally run mental health institutes, 40 state run mental hospitals and 398 departments of psychiatry in various medical colleges across the country equipped to treat such patients, he said.

“To address the acute shortage of qualified mental health professionals in the country, Government is implementing manpower development schemes for establishment of centres for excellence and strengthening and establishing post graduate departments in mental health specialities,” he said.

Till date support has been provided for establishment of 11 centres for excellence and strengthening and establishing 27 PG departments, the Minister informed.