Economic Survey 2023 - 24: Mental health disorders with 'significant productivity losses'

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In a first, the economic impact of mental health was discussed in the Economic Survey 2023-24 tabled by the Union Finance and Corporate Affairs Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on Monday.

The Survey talks extensively about mental health, its significance, and implications on policy recommendations. It also associated mental health disorders with "significant productivity losses".

It is because the condition leads to "absenteeism, decreased productivity, disability, increased healthcare costs, among others".

Citing the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) 2015-16, the Survey noted that 10.6 per cent of adults in the country suffered from mental disorders. However, the treatment gap for mental disorders ranged between 70 per cent and 92 per cent for different disorders. It also showed a higher prevalence of mental morbidity in urban metro regions (13.5 per cent) as compared to rural areas (6.9 per cent) and urban non-metro areas (4.3 per cent).

The Survey also pointed out poverty as a reason for increasing mental health issues among people. It showed that "stressful living conditions, financial instability, and a lack of opportunities for upward mobility contribute to heightened psychological distress".

It also highlighted an increasing prevalence of poor mental health among adolescents exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Citing the NCERT's Mental Health and Well-being of School Students Survey, it showed that 11 per cent of students reported feeling anxious, 14 per cent as feeling extreme emotion, and 43 per cent experiencing mood swings.

The Survey noted key initiatives and policies such as the National Mental Health Programme and National Tele Mental Health Programme by the government to tackle the rising burden of cases. It also informed of increasing mental health professionals by sanctioning 25 Centres of Excellence to increase the intake of PG students.

The government also provisioned mental health services for 22 AIIMS, also provided online training courses via digital academies to general healthcare medical and paramedical professionals. The Survey stresses important policy recommendations including redoubling efforts to increase the number of psychiatrists, and sensitising mental health at the preschool, and at the Anganwadi level to provide precious early identification of disorders.

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