Karnataka State Mental Health Authority:

GS Paper 2

Topics Covered: Issues related to health.

Context:

Formation of Karnataka State Mental Health Authority in process.

What is MENTAL HEALTH?

According to WHO, Mental health is a state of well-being in which an individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.

Determinants of mental health:

Need of Mental health authority now:

Mental health issues following the COVID-19 pandemic stem from ‘normal’ people being exposed to ‘extraordinary situations’.

• The presentations are myriad, and include emotional difficulties like anxiety, depression, biological effects like sleep, appetite disturbances, substance misuse and post-traumatic distress.
• More complex array of challenges to vulnerables like women,children and elderly facing domestic violence,social isolation, increased screen time and poverty have negatively affected their mental health.

Notable facts on mental health in India:

According to WHO(2020):

1. India accounts for 36.6 percent of suicides globally.
2. About 7.5 per cent Indians suffer from some mental disorder and by the end 2020 it will shoot upto roughly 20 percent.
3. According to the numbers, 56 million Indians suffer from depression and another 38 million Indians suffer from anxiety disorders.
4. The contribution of mental disorders to the total disease burden in India in terms of DALYs(Disability adjusted life year) increased from 2.5% in 1990 to 4.7% in 2017.
5. But, per 100,000 population there are psychiatrists (0.3), nurses (0.12), psychologists (0.07) and social workers (0.07), while the desirable number is anything above 3 psychiatrists and psychologists per 100,000 population.

Constitution and Legal mandates for Mental Health:

• Article 21– The right to a dignified life extends to right to seek Mental Health care(recognised under Mental Health care act 2017).
• Article 47– Duty of the state to raise the level of nutrition and the standard of living and to improve public health.
• Recent SC judgement reiterated that every person with Mental illness shall have a right to live with dignity.

Mental Healthcare Act, 2017:

• Formation of AUTHORITY- the Central Mental Health Authority and the State Mental Health Authority.
• Formation of BOARD- Mental Health Review Board constituted by the State Authority.
• Decriminalization of Suicide- A person who attempts suicide shall be presumed to be suffering from mental illness at that time and will not be punished under the Indian Penal Code.
• Prohibiting electro-convulsive therapy- Electro-convulsive therapy is allowed only with the use of muscle relaxants and anaesthesia. The therapy is prohibited for minors.
• Advance Directive- The Act empowers a person with mental illness to make an advance directive that states how he/she wants to be treated for the illness.
• Insurance: The act mandates that every insurer shall make provision for medical insurance for treatment of mental illness on the same basis as is available for treatment of physical illness.

Rights of persons with mental illness:

1. Every person shall have the right to access mental health care and treatment from services run or funded by the government.
2. Protection from inhuman and degraded treatment.
3. Right to Confidentiality in respect of his mental health.

NEED OF THE HOUR:

1. Increase the proportion of expenditure on mental health care in the overall Health Budget.
2. Increase the number of trained mental health workers.
3. Increase massive awareness and sensitivity to tackle the stigma associated with mental illness through Campaigns like ‘Swach Mansikta Abhiyan’.

Insta Curious:

The Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA), 2017, which came into force in July 2018, has significantly reduced the scope for the use of Section 309 IPC. What is Section 309? Reference

InstaLinks:

Prelims Link:

1. Who can be booked under Section 309 of IPC?
2. Key provisions of the Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA), 2017.
3. Law Commission- constitution and composition.
4. Section 115of MHCA.

Mains Link:

In recent years, suicide cases have received alarming attention, for they account for the majority of India’s health burden. Critically analyse the high suicide death rate in the country and how India is responding to this challenge?

Sources: Indian Express.