Volume 6 Issue 12 December, 2016
Mental, neurological and substance use disorders: a ticking time bomb!
As per the Global Burden of Disease survey 2010, the DALYs due to mental neurological and substance use disorders (MNS) have increased by about 40%. These disorders now constitute the leading cause of YLD (Years Lived with Disability). The adverse social and economic consequences on families and communities result in propagation of poverty, behavioral disorders, and reduction of productivity in the long term. Suicides caused by MNS further contribute towards the global disease burden. Globally there is a call to scale up mental healthcare. India being one of the pioneering nations to implement the National Mental Health Program (NMHP) is at a crucial juncture to enhance its mental healthcare. The need of the hour is to overcome the barriers to mental health delivery by improving mental health literacy, reducing stigma and discrimination associated with MNS. It’s time to follow the roadmap of WHO Mental Health Action Plan and design strategy to scale up mental health services. A public health approach which imbibes contributions from government, reorientation and scaling up of mental health services, adopting principles of prevention and promotion and research needs to be incorporated for an effective mental healthcare delivery. India needs a structure for implementation of existing NMHP to include mental health care within the package of basic
healthcare delivery. There is a need to strengthen family and community through self-help interventions, integrating life skills education and parenting which can prevent risk factors for mental disorders. It’s time the stakeholders, service providers and policy makers join hands to strengthen mental healthcare.
AIIMS, Bubaneshwar (Odisha)
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