A study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur has revealed that self-reporting rates for mental health problems are notably low in India. The study revealed that the self-reporting of mental illness was less than 1 per cent based on the 75th Round National Sample Survey 2017-18.

The National Sample Survey completely relied on the self-reporting of the individuals. The data was collected from 555,115 individuals (rural: 325,232; urban: 229,232), from randomly selected 8077 villages and 6181 urban areas, included 283 outpatient and 374 hospitalization cases due to mental disorders in India.

This study also revealed that self-reporting of mental disorders is 1.73 times higher among the richest income group population compared to the poorest in India. Interestingly, a mere 23 per cent of individuals hospitalised for mental disorders had health insurance coverage at the national level.

“The direct and indirect costs of mental disorders can worsen the economic condition, creating a vicious cycle of poverty and mental disorders. These findings emphasize the importance of understanding the local sociodemographic context while designing strategies to reduce the disease burden of mental disorders. Given the socio-cultural and demographic diversity across regions in India, a systematic investigation into these factors is required,” the study stated.

When it comes to the private versus public debate, the private sector emerged as a major provider of mental health services, accounting for 66.1 per cent of outpatient care and 59.2 per cent of inpatient care. The study also revealed that average out-of-pocket expenditures for both hospitalisation and outpatient care were significantly higher in the private sector than in the public sector.