National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) will now work to replicate its successful mental healthcare programme dedicated to primary health centres (PHCs) in 300 districts in the country. Under the Union government funded programme, each district has been sanctioned Rs 100 crore for five years. In addition, the government will set up the regional centres at an investment of Rs 40 crore across the country and district level doctors with five years experience will be enrolled in the seven-month training programme.

The decision by the government comes in because healthcare experts foresee that by 2030, depression will be the second leading disease after life style disorders. At least nine per cent of the population suffer from mild mental illness but only 13 per cent have been treated.

Worldwide, suicide is the second leading cause of death. Around 75 per cent of the patients with mental, neurological and substance use disorders do not have access to treatment. Early intervention can completely cure mental illness.

The government plans to enhance the support system for the mentally ill by increasing awareness on their condition. Mental illness has emerged as a concern across urban and rural India. Training modules for implementing the mental health programme will be developed by NIMHANS.

According to Dr Kishore Kumar, psychiatrist, NIMHANS, unless mental illness is recognized as an illness by the family and community, it is difficult to provide treatment. "We will have to integrate mental illness in the primary health programme," Dr Kumar said.

With an acute shortage of psychiatrists and neurologists, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has tied up with NIMHANS to conduct short term training to treat mental illness and equip the taluk level medical officers with skills to handle the mental illness.

The much talked about NIMHANS pilot tested project to include the component of mental healthcare for PHCs in Karnataka, had Bellary district being identified to start the programme in 1995. This was adopted in the 22 districts in the State during the 8th Five Year Plan. Now under the 11th Five Year Plan, the NIMHANS developed programme will be adopted in 300 districts across the country, stated Dr Kumar.

The Bellary model saw the mental healthcare experts go on a door to door identification programme to detect mental health conditions. Epilepsy was reported to have emerged as the most common of the disorders. NIMHANS conducted a massive training and awareness programme in the district to ensure that epilepsy was detected in the early stages.

Further, NIMHANS is also engaged in urban mental health programme by counselling schools and colleges to reduce the suicide rate under a district level stress management project which will be launched before the year-end.

The WHO study in six states including Karnataka reported 19 per cent of the population comprised severely mentally ill, 85 per cent received treatment but majority in the rural areas, mainly women, are left untreated.

NIMHANS survey conducted in and around Bangalore showed 33 per cent of the mentally patients have not been treated.

In addition, based on the Karnataka High Court order of 2003, a five year mental health programme is being implemented in four districts of Karnataka namely Chamarajanagar, Karwar, Shimoga and Gulbarga. A mental health programme is already on with medication worth Rs 4 lakh available at primary and community health centres.

Karnataka state mental health authority in association with Rotary Club West, Bangalore has also started free ambulance service for mentally ill patients.