A BRIEF SUMMARY OF GOVERNMENT POLICIES & ACTS FOR MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN INDIA

PSYCHOLOGY

India has more than 70 million mental health patients and less than 4000 psychiatrist are there and they are concentrated in only in cities. There are 9.5-102 persons affected in 1000 of population. About 800,000 people commit suicide worldwide every year, of these 135,000 (17%) are residents of India, a nation with 17.5% of world population. So there is a need for looking towards mental health. From depend on these facts it’s very clear that whatever policies made by Indian government is not enough and sufficient for mental health sufferers and their caregivers. India now leads the way globally in revising mental health legislation in line with international human rights standards. It is hoped that on this occasion that the desired mental health service will be realised through appropriate legislation and implementation. The WHO is encouraging countries to update their mental health legislation in line with international guidelines and hopes that 50% of countries will achieve this by 2020. With so many countries needing to revise their laws concerning mental health, India’s proposed revision and its implementation will be highly relevant to many other countries, especially those who have also ratified the UN-Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-CRPD).

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