13 per cent Indian adults suffer from mental disorders

Over 13 per cent of India’s adult population (18 years and above) is suffering from mental health disorders ranging from common ailments like depression and anxiety to severe illnesses that includes schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, an all-India survey has concluded.

The survey’s other startling finding is that around 150 million Indians aged 13 and above are likely to be suffering from one or more mental health problems.

The first-ever large scale, comprehensive survey conducted by Bangalore-based National Institute of Mental health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), with support from the ministry of health and family welfare, covered 12 states, including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam and Manipur.

The survey’s findings will be released formally on Monday, World Mental Health Day.

According to the survey, about two per cent of India’s population suffers from severe mental disorders, which includes schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, about 10 per cent of the population suffers from common disorders like depression and anxiety.

While the survey has found that urban India needs more mental health experts as the urban population is more affected than rural, it states that mental health illnesses affect both men and women equally, though “stress related” disorders were twice as high amongst women than men.

“Alcohol use disorders,” due to continous consumption of alcohol despite evidence of harm, are around 5 per cent, and it was found that disability is high amongst people suffering from mental disorders.

The survey is significance as a recent report published in the Lancet had suggested that the burden of mental illness is expected to increase more rapidly in India than in China over the next 10 years. Ironically, despite the rising figures in India, only about one in 10 people with mental health disorders receive evidence-based treatment, it had said.