{"id":1468,"date":"2022-09-23T10:36:46","date_gmt":"2022-09-23T10:36:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hopetrustindia.com\/dev\/?p=1468"},"modified":"2022-09-23T10:36:46","modified_gmt":"2022-09-23T10:36:46","slug":"mental-health-and-the-budget","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hopetrustindia.com\/dev\/blog\/mental-health-and-the-budget\/","title":{"rendered":"Mental Health and the Budget"},"content":{"rendered":"

Among COVID-19\u2019s many effects on individuals and society, one of the most insidious is the way it affects mental health. Mental health practioners in India report an immense increase in persons seeking giving rise to new challenges and aggravating pre-existing issues.<\/p>\n

Traditionally, mental health issues been associated with psychotic disorders or other such severe problems. \u00a0Only recently have increased awareness, online access and conversation about other mental health issues, like depression, anxiety, attention-deficit\/hyperactivity, and learning disabilities, is now occurring.<\/p>\n

COVID-19 positive patients often suffer from depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress related to the disease. Frontline workers often face stigma from their community and family and have to deal with the fear of getting infected. They also suffer from burnout, anxiety, and insomnia related to overwhelming workloads.<\/p>\n

Studies indicate that mental health issues like anxiety, depression, stress, psychological distress, loneliness have increased among the general population during the COVID-19 outbreak. There is also increase in alcohol and drug use, as well as severe withdrawal symptoms due to the sudden unavailability of alcohol and other addictive substances during the lockdown.<\/p>\n

The hidden pandemic<\/strong><\/p>\n

However, India has long been in a mental health pandemic \u2013 a hidden but real undercurrent that is complicated by language complexities, gender roles, lack of accessibility especially in rural areas and stigma that results in hesitancy in seeking help.<\/p>\n

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Countering this hidden pandemic requires collective effort by various stakeholders: health professionals, community health workers, persons affected by mental illness, family members, teachers, workplace managers, police, civil society establishments, community leaders, and policymakers. Such concerted effort has to be directed towards the development of new infrastructure around mental health care that recognizes the crisis as institutional and a wider social issue. Enhancement of existing resources is also required.<\/p>\n

New Budget and mental health<\/strong><\/p>\n

As India enters the third year in its management of the pandemic, the focus of the public health sector will be to further strengthen the health systems at primary, secondary and tertiary levels to respond in greater measure to the existing and potential future wave of infections.<\/p>\n

In 2022-23, the Budget estimate for the health sector has been increased by is 16.59% compared to 2021-22 Budget estimate.<\/p>\n

Besides augmenting the health infrastructure, the government has also placed priority on another significant issue related to the pandemic: mental health.<\/p>\n

With Covid-19 adversely affecting mental health and triggering an exponential rise in mental health issues, the government announced the roll-out of the national tele-mental health<\/a> programme.<\/p>\n

How will tele-mental health help? <\/strong><\/p>\n

The programme will include:<\/p>\n