In a country where 197.3 million individuals are believed to be fighting mental disorder, less than 1% accept the problem and go to a doctor for treatment as social stigma acts as the biggest barrier to reporting such health issues, says a study by the Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur.
Dr Alok Ranjan, Assistant Professor, School of Liberal Arts (SOLA) IIT Jodhpur, who co-authored the study, said, “Stigma in society acts as a significant barrier to reporting mental health issues. In today’s society, the reluctance to report mental health issues persists due to the prevailing stigma. Individuals, fearing social judgement, often choose silence over seeking help. Destigmatising mental health is crucial to fostering an environment where seeking support is embraced.” The findings of Dr Ranjan’s team revealed that self-reporting of mental illness was less than 1% based on the 75th Round National Sample Survey, 2017-18.
The study uncovered a socioeconomic divide, with self-reporting of mental disorders being 1.73 times higher among the richest income group population compared to the poorest in India. It also reflected the dominance of the private sector as a major provider of mental health services, accounting for 66.1% of outpatient care and 59.2% of inpatient care.
The National Sample Survey completely relied on the self-reporting of the individuals. The data was collected from 555,115 individuals (rural: 325,232; urban: 229,232), from randomly selected 8077 villages and 6181 urban areas, included 283 outpatient and 374 hospitalization cases due to mental disorders in India. The study was done using logistic regression models on the data from the 75th Round National Sample Survey, 2017-18, in India.
The study also shed light on the significant out-of-pocket expenses incurred by individuals seeking mental health services, largely due to reliance on the private sector. The study was done based on the logistic regression models.
Dr Rajan said the study has been published in the International Journal of Mental Health Systems and has been co-authored by him and Dr Jewel Crasta, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.
The 2017 National Mental Health Survey by The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), indicated that around 197.3 million individuals had a mental disorder in India.