Karnataka govt shines light on state's mental health initiatives

Karnataka State Mental Health Authority, the Department of Health and Family Welfare, and the Department of Psychiatry, BMCRI, observed World Mental Health Day 2024 on Monday. This year, the World Mental Health Day’s theme is “It is Time to Prioritize Mental Health in the Workplace”.

Karnataka implemented the National Mental Health Program of 1982 as the District Mental Health Program (DMHP) in Ballari from 1985 to 1990, which later became a flagship initiative of the Indian government.

A statement said that from four DMHPs in 2016-17, the state has expanded to 32 DMHPs, including in 31 districts and the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) as an independent DMHP. 

Moreover, the government has documented an average of 10 lakh footfalls for the care and treatment of persons with mental illness at public health centres every year for the past five years.

Other initiatives include the Manochaitanya - Super-Tuesday clinics, launched in 2014, which offers mental health care on Tuesdays and Fridays at public health facilities in every taluk across Karnataka. It ensures specialist psychiatric services at least once a month, supported by psychiatrists from DMHP, district hospitals, medical colleges, and the private sector.

Active in all 150 taluks, it recorded 5,76,525 consultations in FY23-24.

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Mathru Chaitanya—the perinatal mental health services—integrates mental health care with mother and child health services, providing screening and treatment during the antenatal and postnatal periods. In FY23-24, 59,913 antenatal and 19,318 postnatal patients received treatment.

The Dava and Dua programme, launched in October 2024, offers faith healing and supports treatment with psychotropic medicines.

The state government informed that e-Manas Karnataka, an interactive portal to provide seamless service delivery, was recognised as a National Best Practice during the 14th Conference of the Central Council of Health & Family Welfare (CCHFW). Tele MANAS (Helpline - 14416), with centres at NIMHANS and DIMHANS, has supported 77,145 calls, as of October 25, 2024.

Earlier in October, the state's health and family welfare department and the Aaladamara Foundation inaugurated a 25-bed ECRC centre at Sir C.V. Raman Hospital, Bengaluru to care for and rehabilitate homeless individuals suffering from mental illness.  

The state mental health authority has also created 31 mental health review boards. The government implements the MHCA-2017 provisions with the e-Manas Mental Health Care Management System, which ensures seamless service delivery across the state. Around 315 mental health establishments and 423 professionals are currently registered.