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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 4308
TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.04.2026
POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION IN WOMEN
4308. SMT. RAJATHI:
Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:
(a) whether Government has commissioned any research to understand the growing
incidence of postpartum depression among mothers in the country;
(b) details of reported cases of postpartum depression during last five years, State- wise;
(c) the specific measures/steps taken by Union Government focussing on postpartum
mental-health screening and counselling within existing maternal and child health
services; and
(d) whether the Ministry, in coordination with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,
plans to formulate a national framework or guidelines for identification and
management of postpartum depression?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
(SHRIMATI SAVITRI THAKUR)
(a) to (d): To strengthen mental health services, the Government of India implements National
Mental Health Programme (NMHP), which includes postpartum mothers. 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, outreach services, ambulance services etc. In addition to above
services there is a provision of 10 bedded in-patient facility at the district level.
The Government is also taking steps to strengthen mental healthcare services at primary
healthcare level. The Government has upgraded more than 1.83 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 Arogya Mandirs. Operational guidelines and training
manuals for various cadres on Mental, Neurological, and substance use disorders (MNS) at
Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been released under the ambit of Ayushman Bharat. Under
the tertiary care component of NMHP, 25 Centres of Excellence have been sanctioned to
increase the intake of students in PG departments in mental health specialties as well as toprovide tertiary level treatment facilities. Further, the Government has also supported
19Government medical colleges/institutions to strengthen 47 PG Departments in mental health
Specialties.
The details of women reported with Postpartum Depression in the country is not maintained
centrally. However, as per National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) conducted in 2016 by the
National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore in 12 States
of the country, the prevalence of depressive disorders in females over the age of 18 years is
about 5.72%. Under National Health Mission, Auxiliary Nurses and Midwife (ANM) and
Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) routinely assess the health issues of postpartum
mothers including mental health during home visits. Following a mother's discharge from a
healthcare facility, ANM and ASHA conduct six postnatal home visits to ensure
comprehensive postnatal care, which includes screening for postpartum depression. This
evaluation involves identifying symptoms and referring the mother to an appropriate healthcare
facility under the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) and or the Extended-
PMSMA. Under the Optimization of Postnatal care scheme, ASHA is provided incentive for
timely management.
There are 47 Government run mental hospitals in the country, including 3 Central Mental
Health Institutions, viz. National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru,
Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur, Assam and Central
Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi. Mental Health Services are also provisioned in all AIIMS.
Besides the above, the Government has launched a “National Tele Mental Health Programme”
on 10th October, 2022, to further improve access to quality mental health counselling and care
services in the country. As on 03.03.2026, 36 States/ UTs have set up 53 Tele MANAS Cells
and have started tele mental health services. Approx 34.34 lakhs calls have been handled on
the 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 facility under Tele-MANAS, as another upgrade to the already existing
audio calling facility.
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