10-12 mn people suffer from mental disorder: Govt

About 10-12 million people in the country suffer from severe mental disorder and another 50 million from common disorders like depression and anxiety as in 2005, Health Minister J P Nadda said today.
The National Commission of Macroeconomics and Health reported in 2005 that 10-20 million (1-2 per cent of population) suffered from severe mental disorders like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Another nearly 50 million (5 per cent of population) suffered from common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, yielding an overall estimate of 6.5 per cent of the population, Nadda said in Lok Sabha.
Government has commissioned a national mental health survey through NIMHANS, Bangalore to estimate the prevalence and burden of mental, neurological and substance use disorders in a representative population of India and assess mental health care resources and facilities, among other things.

The survey was initiated on June 1, 2015 and about 27,000 interviews were completed at the field level as on April 5 this year, he said during Question Hour.
The Minister said the government has provided financial assistance for establishment of centre of excellence in the field of mental health at 15 institutes belonging to state governments and UTs.