National Mental Health Survey of India, 2015-16: Summary

This is the first of a tripartite report by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, in alliance with 15 institutions from across India. It was commissioned by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, government of India. It covers 12 Indian states, (and 34, 802 individuals) and aims to be a nationally representative survey on mental health issues. Females comprised 52.3 per cent of all respondents in the survey.These were the 12 states covered: Punjab and Uttar Pradesh (north),  Tamil Nadu and Kerala (south),  Jharkhand and West Bengal (east),  Rajasthan and Gujarat (west), Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh (central India), and Assam and Manipur (north-east). The report says that nearly 15 per cent of adults in India require treatment for one or more mental health disorders. Yet, most state governments allocate less than 1 per cent of their budget to mental health.The survey examines the prevalence and patterns of mental health problems in India, their impact on individuals, gaps in mental healthcare, and how existing mental healthcare services are utilised. This first part is a summary of the entire report.