Parliament Question: National Mental Health Survey

GOVERNMENTOFINDIA MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE DEPARTMENTOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE LOK SABHA UNSTARREDQUESTION NO. 2170 TO BE ANSWERED ON31ST JULY,2026 NATIONALMENTALHEALTH SURVEY 2170. SHRIASADUDDIN OWAISI: Will the Minister of HEALTHANDFAMILYWELFAREbe pleasedtostate: (a) whether the Government has taken cognizance of the growing mental health burden in the country, if so, the detailsthereof; (b) whether the Government has taken cognisance of the fact that a large proportion of mental health concerns, including stress, psychological distress and anxiety, may not receive adequate attentionunderexisting mentalhealthprogrammesfocused primarilyonmentalillness, if so, the detailsthereofalong with the measures takenbythe Government toaddress such concerns; (c) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to determine the extent to which mentalhealth problems, beyond'mentalillness' are prevalentinthe country; (d) whether the Government is undertaking the National Mental Health Surveyin the country, if so, the detailsthereof; and (e)the current status of the survey andtimelinefor publicationof the data inthisregard? ANSWER THE MINISTER OFSTATE IN THE MINISTRYOFHEALTH AND FAMILYWELFARE (SHRIPRATAPRAO JADHAV) (a) to (e) As per the National Mental Health Survey conducted by the Government through National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore in 12 States of the country, the prevalence of mental disorders including common mental disorders, severe mental disorders, and alcohol and substance use disorders (excluding tobacco use disorder) in adults over the age of 18 years is about 10.6%. The treatment gap for mental disorders ranged between70% to92% for different disorders. To address the burdenof mentaldisorders, the Government of India isimplementing the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in the country. The District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) component of the NMHP has been sanctioned for implementation in 767 districts for which support is provided to States/UTs through the National Health Mission. Facilities made available under DMHP at the Community Health Centre (CHC) and Primary Health Centre(PHC) levels, inter- alia, include outpatient services, assessment, counselling/ psycho-social interventions, continuing care and support to persons with severe mental disorders, drugs, outreachservices, ambulance services etc. Under the tertiary care component of NMHP, under Manpower Development Scheme-A, 25 Centres of Excellence have been sanctioned to increase the intake of students in PG departments in mental health specialities as well as to provide tertiary level treatment facilities. Further, the Government has also supported 19 Government medical colleges/institutions to strengthen 47 PGDepartmentsinmental healthspecialtiesunderManpower DevelopmentScheme-B. The Government is also taking steps to strengthen mental healthcare services at primary healthcare level. The Government has upgraded more than 1.8 lakh Sub Health Centres (SHCs) and Primary Health Centres (PHCs) to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Mental health services have been added in the packages of services under Comprehensive Primary Health Care provided at these Ayushman ArogyaMandirs. Operational guidelinesandtrainingmanualsfor variouscadres on Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders (MNS) at Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have beenreleasedunderthe ambitof AyushmanBharat. The Government has launched a “National Tele Mental Health Programme” (NTMHP) on 10th October, 2022, that functions as the digital arm of the District Mental Health Programme to provide universal access to equitable, accessible, affordable and quality mental health care through 24 x 7 tele-mental health counselling services. For this, a toll-free number (14416) has beenset upacross the country. As on 27.07.2026, 36 States/ UTs have set up 53 Tele MANAS Cells. Tele-MANAS services are available in20 languages based on language opted byStates. More than 42lakhs callshave been handledonthe helpline number. The Government has also launched Tele MANAS Mobile Application on the occasion of World Mental Health Day - October 10, 2024. Tele-MANAS Mobile Application is a comprehensive mobile platform that has been developed to provide support for mental health issues ranging from well being to mental disorders.The Government has also launched the video consultation facilityunderTele-MANAS, asanotherupgrade tothe already existing audiocallingfacility. National Mental Health Survey 2 (NMHS 2) is conducted through National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru covering the age group of adolescents (13 to 17 years) and all adults of age 18 and above across all States (28) and Union Territories (8). The focus of NMHS 2 enquiry has been expanded to Public Health priority on mental illness conditions including thematic studies related to vulnerable populations such as children and women’s mental health, geriatric mental health, migration, climate change, mental health amongst tribal population andmentalhealthcare during disasters. ****