People having mental issues have increased in past 10 yrs: K’taka Minister

PTI, Dec 9, 2022, 5:31 PM IST

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Karnataka Health Minister K Sudhakar on Friday said the number of people having mental issues has increased in the past 10 years.

Speaking at the Brain Health Initiative programme organised at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurological Sciences (NIMHANS), he said, ”A person can be considered completely healthy only if his/her mental health is also good. The number of people suffering from neurological and mental health issues is increasing since the past 10 years,” Sudhakar, who himself is a medical professional, said.

”According to statistics, about seven to eight per cent of deaths are due to mental health and brain related issues,” the Minister told the gathering.

The fluctuation in mental health of a person creates problems not only to his physical health but also the society at large, he explained.

Sudhakar informed the audience that the Government of India is conducting a national campaign on mental illness through the T-MANAS Tele-counseling platform.

The T-Manas platform launched by the Central government was based on the E-Manas platform started by Karnataka earlier, he added.

The State government is already doing a pilot project in Chikkaballapur, Kolar, Bengaluru Rural districts with the help of NIMHANS, Sudhakar said adding that a plan has been made to make this service available in all parts of the state in the coming days.

The Primary Health Centre doctors are given three months training in counselling and treating mental health issues. In the coming days, auxiliary nurses and midwives, community health officers and ASHA workers will also be trained to counsel and treat those in distress, Sudhakar said.