Mental health remains a serious issue in the region, with conflict, trauma, displacement, economic instability, exacerbating its prevalence

Mental health is a serious issue in Kashmir, where decades of conflict and political unrest have had a significant impact on the mental well-being of the population. And this has been highlighted by the Lancet in its recent report on the work of the National Tele Mental Health Programme (NTMHP) in the troubled region.

Since the programme’s launch in the region on November 4, 2022, Kashmir centre has received 4000 calls from people suffering from mental illness and anxiety-related issues.

The NTMHP is a toll-free, 24/7 helpline number that provides professional services to people with mental health issues.

The programme’s provenance in India goes far back. India was one of the major World Health Organization (WHO) member countries to launch its National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in 1982 in accordance with WHO’s recommendations to deliver mental health services to the people under the framework of the general health care system in the community.

The implementation of the initiative in Kashmir is seen as a step towards reducing the mental health treatment gap in Kashmir, which has historically been neglected. The Lancet article notes that the distress mental issue calls received by the Tele-Mental Health Assistance center in Kashmir Valley are an indication that the program is reaching people in need of mental health support.

However, mental health remains a serious issue in Kashmir, with conflict, trauma, displacement, and economic instability exacerbating its prevalence. According to a study conducted by the Doctors Without Borders in 2016, nearly 1.8 million people in the region suffer from mental health disorders.

In addition to the impact of conflict, the COVID-19 pandemic has also exacerbated mental health issues in the region. The lockdowns, fear, and uncertainty caused by the pandemic have led to an increase in anxiety and depression.

However, mental health services in Kashmir are limited, and there is a significant treatment gap. The National Tele-Mental Health Program launched in Kashmir is seen as a step towards addressing this issue and providing much-needed support to the population.

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Mental health in India

Mental health in India remains a major concern with the country facing numerous challenges such as poor awareness of mental illness, stigma, high treatment gap, and shortage of mental health professionals to manage widely prevalent mental illnesses.

With a population of 1.38 billion, a low number of overall mental health professionals in India, especially in rural areas, is not surprising as most of these are concentrated in urban areas.

India was one of the first lower- and -middle income countries to adopt the Mental Health Program (MHP) in 1982. To bring mental health out of the shadows, the government has tried to increase the number of psychiatric training institutes as well as seats.

With an estimated 1.2 billion mobile phone users and 600 million smartphone users, the NTMHP is expected to reach a large portion of patients, eventually reducing the colossal treatment gap.

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