IIT Jodhpur study finds low self-reporting for mental disorders in India

JODHPUR : A recent study by the Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur highlighted concerning trends regarding the reporting of mental disorders in India. The findings revealed that self-reporting rates for mental health problems were notably low. The study revealed that the self-reporting of mental illness was less than 1% 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.

Additionally, the study shed light on the significant out-of-pocket expenses incurred by individuals seeking mental health services, largely due to reliance on the private sector. The study was done based on the logistic regression models and it shows that the individuals with higher incomes were 1.73 times more inclined to report health problems compared to those with lower incomes.

The study has been published in the International Journal of Mental Health Systems and has been co-authored by Dr. Alok Ranjan, Assistant Professor, School of Liberal Arts (SoLA), IIT Jodhpur and Dr. Jewel Crasta, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, USA.

DOI: https://ijmhs.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13033-023-00595-6

The 2017 National Mental Health Survey by The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro-Sciences (NIMHANS), indicated that around 197.3 million individuals had a mental disorder in India.

Some key findings from the study include:

1. Low Self-Reporting of Mental Disorders: The study revealed that self-reporting of mental disorders in India is considerably lower than the actual burden of the disease. This disparity suggests a significant gap in identifying and addressing mental health issues.

2. Socioeconomic Disparities: The study uncovered a socioeconomic divide, with self-reporting of mental disorders being 1.73 times higher among the richest income group population compared to the poorest in India.

3. Dominance of the Private Sector: The private sector emerged as a major provider of mental health services, accounting for 66.1% of outpatient care and 59.2% of inpatient care.

4. Limited Health Insurance Coverage: A mere 23% of individuals hospitalized for mental disorders had health insurance coverage at the national level.

5. High Out-of-Pocket Expenditure: The study revealed that average out-of-pocket expenditures for both hospitalization and outpatient care were significantly higher in the private sector than in the public sector.

Talking about the Low Self-reporting on Mental Health Disorders in India, Dr. Alok Ranjan, Assistant Professor, School of Liberal Arts (SOLA) IIT Jodhpur said, “Stigma in society acts as a significant barrier to reporting mental health issues. In today’s society, the reluctance to report mental health issues persists due to the prevailing stigma. Individuals, fearing social judgment, often choose silence over seeking help. Destigmatizing mental health is crucial to fostering an environment where seeking support is embraced.”