Union Budget 2022 puts spotlight on post-CoVID mental health.

As India enters the third year in its fight against the global pandemic, the focus of the public health sector will be to further strengthen the health systems at levels of primary, secondary and tertiary in responding effectively to the future wave of infections.

In 2022-23, the Budget estimate for the health sector is Rs 86,200.65 crore — a 16.59% increase compared to 2021-22 Budget estimate.

Besides augmenting the health infrastructure, the government has also placed its priority on another critical issue related to the pandemic: mental health.

With Covid-19 negatively affecting mental health & triggering an exponential rise in mental health issues among vulnerable population groups, GoI announced the roll-out of the national tele-mental health programme.

The development comes in the backdrop of growing scientific evidence that mental health sequels post- CoVID infection.
During the pandemic, patients have been reporting anxiety and depression, as well as ‘Long Covid’, where recovered patients experience brain fog and are not able to think clearly. Patients also show neurological symptoms.

Experts welcomed the focus on mental health.

How tele-mental health service helps

The programme will include a network of 23 tele-mental health centres of excellence,
NIMHANS being the nodal centre and
IIIT-Bengaluru providing technology support.
The 23 centres have specialised mental healthcare resources and will help states and UTs set up tele-health helplines to train counsellors to provide 1st-level psychological care.

As per a recent national mental health survey,
10.4% people have a diagnosable mental health condition but that did NOT mean that everyone needs to be seen in a hospital.
This programme will be useful to identify mild forms of mental illness, which may not require medication or in patient care.

According to a 2019 ICMR study, 1 in 7 persons suffered from mental disorders of varying severity in India.
We are in the middle of a mental health pandemic. Setting up a tele-mental health helpline is a small gesture and we hope it multiplies. However, this is not enough. We need intensity on mental health as much as the Centre and states have done for combating Covid-19.