Economic Survey: Mental health issues rising, holistic approach required

The Economic Survey has highlighted the rise in mental health issues among Indians and suggested a bottom-up, whole-of-community approach for addressing the issue.“Mental health problems not only diminish individual quality of life but also constrain overall productivity through absenteeism, reduced efficiency, disability and increased healthcare costs,” the survey said on Monday. It stressed the need to combat stigma by normalising conversations about mental health and promoting acceptance and treatment-seeking behaviours akin to physical ailments.

According to the National Mental Health Survey2015-16, 10.6% of adults in India suffer from mental disorders, with a significant treatment gap ranging from 70% to 92% for different disorders. Urban metro regions reported a higher prevalence of mental morbidity at 13.5% compared with rural areas (6.9%) and urban non-metro areas (4.3%). Overall, the expenditure on health has grown at a CAGR of 15.8%, it said, adding that health expenditure has increased to ₹5.85 lakh crore as compared to the total expenditure on social services of ₹11.39 lakh crore and health expenditure of ₹2.43 lakh crore in 2017-18. According to the health ministry’s estimates, the total cost of medical treatment would be 1.5-2 times higher if beneficiaries availed of the same treatment on their own outside the ambit of AB PM-JAY. “Upon incorporating this multiplier effect of low costs, the scheme corresponds to saving more than 1.25 lakh crore of OOPE for poor and deprived families (as of 12 January 2024),” it said.