Nearly 14% Indians are mentally ill, reveals Nimhans study

[email protected] (CD Network)
October 12, 2016

Bengaluru, Oct 12: A nationwide study conducted by National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (Nimhans) has revealed a shocking prevalence of mental illness in India. At least 13.7 per cent of India's general population has been projected to be suffering from a variety of mental illnesses; and 10.6 per cent of this requires immediate intervention.

indiaIn all, nearly 150 million Indians are in a need of active medical intervention, according to the study, submitted by Nimhans to the Union ministry of health and family welfare on Monday.

Concerned over the growing problem of mental health in India, the ministry had appointed Nimhans to study the mental health status in the country in 2014 to come up with stronger mental health policies.

The aim of the survey was to study the magnitude of the problem in the country when Dr P Satish Chandra was the director of Nimhans.

India was one of the first countries to develop a national mental health programme in the early 1980s, but there was no proper study to understand the spread and estimate of mental illness in the state.

Although a mental health survey was conducted almost a decade ago, there were several fallacies in that report. The report stated that the estimates at the national and state levels were not possible due to methodological limitations.

The current study, starting from data collection, was initiated in 2014. Through computer-generated random selection, primary data was collected from 12 states with a sample size of 34,802 people.

A pilot study was done in Kolar in Karnataka. It covered all important aspects of mental illness that included substance abuse, alcohol use disorder, tobacco use disorder, severe mental illness, depression, anxiety, phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, among others.

The prevalence of mental morbidity was found to be very high in the Indian urban centres with higher prevalence of schizophrenia, mood disorders and neurotic- or stress-related disorders.

Researchers have attributed the disturbing scenario to fast-paced lifestyles, stress, complexities of loving, breakdown of support systems and challenges of economic instability.

One of the biggest concerns emerging from the study is that despite three out of four persons experiencing severe mental disorders, huge treatment gaps exist.

Apart from epilepsy, the treatment gap for all mental health disorders is more than sixty per cent. In fact, the economic burden of mental disorders is so huge that affected families had to spend nearly Rs 1,000-1,500 a month mainly for treatment and to access care.

Due to the stigma attached with mental disorders, nearly 80 per cent of people suffering from mental disorders had not received any treatment despite being afflicted by the illness for over 12 months.

Poor implementation of programmes under the national mental health programme has been found to be the main culprit for this scenario.

They not only have a low priority in the public health agenda but the health information system itself does not prioritise mental health.

Not only is there a paucity of mental health specialists, the institutional care in India, too, has been found to be limited.

The researchers suggest that mental health financing needs to be streamlined. The other problems also include interrupted drug supply to treat mental illness.

Comments

Ahmed USA
 - 
Thursday, 13 Oct 2016

Sam ,u proved urself to be a student of madrasa .message board itself clearly says many have become mentally retards becoz of many reason ..one is triple talaq ..now they cannot escape from marriage after raping woman. Second ..surgical strike hit them most becoz many of them thought their relatives can do anything in Pakistan .but now their dreams are shattered .third point arrest of salafist linked Isis elements .4th point losing grip on central govt as iron man is ruling the central .mr sam .1.25 billion population yaar .have commonsense .max voters 65crores .in that Muslims didn't vote for bjp and 31% they have received .FYI how much your siddu got do u know ? .send ur kids at least to schools instead of salafist madrasas..at least they don't become like you .

Rikaz
 - 
Wednesday, 12 Oct 2016

Modi promised 15 lakhs and ache din and may be he is also one of them....

Ashwin
 - 
Wednesday, 12 Oct 2016

SAM, UAE
You are wrong, 14% of the people are those who voted for the Looters party inspite of their pro Pak, non stop looting, minority appeasing policy. This list includes Puppu, Mani, Khurshid, Diggy etc

Go Moothra
 - 
Wednesday, 12 Oct 2016

Those who changed clothes (Chaddi to trouser) .....recently ...but could not change their Minds.....

Shaad
 - 
Wednesday, 12 Oct 2016

We know 31% Indians who elected present Govt. are mentally ill, how come it reduced to 14%? May after 2 years some realised their mistakes..!

SAM
 - 
Wednesday, 12 Oct 2016

Don't understand why the NIMHANS spent so much to reveal that the number of people voted for NDA are mentally ill.

17 Cr out of 1.25 Billion voted for NDA which is 14%.

Surely Arnab Go & Swami are the on the top list who needs to be admitted to ICU.

Abdul Narayan Dsouza
 - 
Wednesday, 12 Oct 2016

Arnab Gobar swami and Naren Kothi will be in the list

Abbu Beary
 - 
Wednesday, 12 Oct 2016

Some saffron group activists all of a sudden become mentally ill if they were caught in terror case. I want to know whether they also included in this 14 per cent ?

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News Network
May 4,2020

Bengaluru, May 4: First year Pre-University results of Karnataka Department of Pre-University Education will be released soon.

According to a report, the first year PU result will be released on the registered mobile numbers of students or parents on May 5. The report also asked the colleges which offers PU course that the PU results should not be released on the notice boards.

This measure has been taken keeping in view to avoid gatherings in and around the institutions to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

The Deccan Herald report also said the students who are not able to clear the exams after the PU results are declared will be given a chance to appear for supplementary examinations in college level and further details on this will be shared with the institutes by the department in due course.

"After the declaration of results, colleges can conduct online classes for students who are eligible to attend second year PU classes," the report added.

The state is yet to complete the SSLC (class 10) and PU second year (higher secondary or class 12) examinations as the spread of coronavirus and subsequent lockdown announced by the government has put the whole academic activities out of gear in the state.

Recently, the education minister has said the SSLC examinations in the state will be conducted as it is a "crucial stage in a student's life".

"We will consider it (SSLC examinations) when the situation becomes normal," The New Indian Express quoted the minister as saying.

The Karnataka SSLC exam was scheduled to be held between March 27 and April 9, and over eight lakh students had registered for the exam.

Updates on the date and other decisions regarding PU second year exams are awaited.

Earlier, the school education department had decided to promote class 7 and 8 students without any exams in the wake of lockdown aimed at controlling the spread of COVID-19.

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News Network
May 10,2020

May 10: Azaan is an integral part of the faith, not the gadget, says veteran writer-lyricist Javed Akhtar, asking that the Islamic call to prayer on loudspeakers should be stopped as it causes "discomfort" to others.

In a tweet on Saturday, Akhtar wondered why the practice was 'halaal' (allowed) when it was, for nearly half a century in the country, considered 'haraam' or forbidden.

"In India for almost 50 years Azaan on the loud speak was Haraam. Then it became Halaal and so halaal that there is no end to it, but there should be an end to it. Azaan is fine but loud speaker does cause of discomfort for others. I hope that atleast this time they will do it themselves (sic)," Akhtar tweeted.

When a user asked his opinion on loudspeakers being used in temples, the 75-year-old writer said everyday use of speakers is a cause of concern.

"Whether it's a temple or a mosque, if you're using loudspeakers during a festival, it's fine. But it shouldn't be used everyday in either temples or mosques.

"For more than thousand years Azaan was given without the loud speaker. Azaan is the integral part of your faith, not this gadget," he replied.

Earlier in March, Akhtar had supported the demand to shut mosques amid the coronavirus outbreak in the country, saying even Kaaba and Medina have been closed due to the pandemic.

He had also appealed to the Muslim community to offer prayers from home in the holy month of Ramzan, which began on April 24.

"I request all the Muslim brothers that now that Ramzan is coming, please say your prayers but make sure that this doesn't cause problems to anyone else. The prayers that you do in the mosque, you can do that at home. According to you, the house, the ground, this all has been made by Him. Then you can do your prayers anywhere," he had said.

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News Network
February 21,2020

Bengaluru, Feb 21: The Supreme Court in its interim order on Thursday allowed the plea of the Karnataka government for implementation of the final award by a tribunal for sharing of water between Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra from the Mahadayi river.

The interim order was passed by a bench comprising Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justice Hemant Gupta after hearing the counsel from the three states. The bench said the final hearing in the matter will take place in July.

It also said the interim order is subject to the final outcome of the petitions filed by the three states against the tribunal's award.

The Mahadayi Water Dispute tribunal had passed the order on August 14, 2018, allocating 13.42 TMC ( Thousand Million Cubic Feet.) water (including 3.9 TMC for diversion into the depleted Malaprabha river basin) from the Mahadayi river basin to Karnataka.

Maharashtra was allotted 1.33 TMC water while Goa was given 24 TMC in the final decision of the tribunal. The UPA-2 government had constituted Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal in 2010.

Karnataka government, which has locked horns with the neighbouring Goa on the larger issue of sharing Mahadayi River water between both the states, had petitioned the tribunal seeking the release of 7.56 tmcft of water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

The Kalasa-Banduri Nala (diversion) project, which will utilise 7.56 tmcft of water from the inter-state Mahadayi river, is being undertaken by Karnataka to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and the districts of Belagavi and Gadag.

It involves building barrages across Kalasa and Banduri, the tributaries of the Mahadayi River, to divert 7.56 tmc water to the Malaprabha river which fulfils the drinking water needs of the twin cities.

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