Economic Survey Highlights Rising Mental Health Issues in India

The Economic Survey emphasizes the growing prevalence of mental health problems in India and underscores the need for a community-based approach to tackle these issues. It draws attention to the socio-economic consequences of poor mental health and suggests school-level interventions to improve mental well-being, especially post-COVID-19.

The Economic Survey on Monday spotlighted an increase in mental health issues among Indians and called for a shift toward a bottom-up, community-driven approach to address the problem. The policy document emphasized that mental health is both a health and economic imperative, highlighting various socio-economic repercussions for the first time in detail.

It noted that mental health issues significantly drag down productivity more than physical health problems. Citing National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) 2015-16 data, the survey revealed that 10.6% of adults in India suffer from mental disorders, with a treatment gap ranging from 70% to 92% across different disorders.

The survey pointed out that mental morbidity is more prevalent in urban metro areas (13.5%) compared to rural (6.9%) and urban non-metro regions (4.3%). Further, it noted that individuals aged 25-44 are most affected by mental illnesses. The document suggested integrating mental health interventions in schools to mitigate issues exacerbated by COVID-19 and the increased use of the Internet and social media among children and adolescents.