Rate of mental illness increasing in India : Minister

New Delhi, Nov 23 (UNI) The number of persons with mental illness has been going up in India due to changes in demographics and increase in the rate of depression, the Lok Sabha was infromed today.

Epidemiological studies have revealed that one to two per cent of the population had major mental disorders and five to ten per cent suffer from minor mental disorders, Health Minister Anbumani Rmadoss said in a written reply.

"Efforts of the government now are to diagnose the mentaly ill patients at the early stage and treat them through the general health care delivery system," he said.

He said the government had expanded the National Mental Health Programme during the tenth five year plan with an outlay of Rs 139 crore in order to expand District Mental health Programme to cover 100 districts in the country, strengthen the 37 government menta health institutes and also psychiatric wings of 75 medical colleges, under IEC activities and research and training.

'These measures will provide increased access and better quality of mental health care," Dr Ramadoss said.

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