National Mental Health Survey of India 2015-16

NMHS
and refer children with mental health or
behavioural problems to the concerned
health professionals etc.), Law (mental health
legislations), police (ensuring protection)
and other sectors.
More than 72% of the states surveyed,
reported that there existed activities of
some type pertaining to intra and intersectoral
collaboration for mental health
at the state level, but not in a defined and
structured manner; it was predominantly
activity oriented and need based. Five states
(Gujarat, Manipur, Kerala, West Bengal
and Punjab) had collaboration with more
than 50% of the health as well as the nonhealth
sectors (Figure 14). Collaboration
was usually reported with departments of
differently-abled people/ disability, HIV/
AIDS and social welfare. Formal intra and
inter sectoral collaboration agreements,
guidelines, information and services
exchange, and referral services need to be
evolved to make inter-sectoral coordination
meaningful.
• Social welfare activities
Social welfare activities for mentally disabled
persons in terms of the provision of disability
certificates, pensions, reservation of jobs and
the preferential allotment of housing was
assessed in the surveyed states. Disability
certificates usually help the mentally ill to
avail of various disability benefits provided
by the government. Assam, Chhattisgarh,
Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal
had no information on the provision of
disability certificates.
Disability certificates issued for mental
illness ranged from 14 in Manipur to 7.48
lakhs in Gujarat. Reservation of jobs for
mentally ill persons and the preferential
allotment of housing were reported only in
Gujarat.
• Civil society organisation (s)
in mental health
The term civil society refers to the wide array ofnongovernmental
and not-for-profit organisations
that have a presence in public life, expressing the
interests and values of their members or others,
based on ethical, cultural, political, scientific,
religious or philanthropic considerations. Civil
Society Organisations (CSOs) therefore refer to a
wide array of organisations: community groups,
non-governmental organisations (NGOs),
indigenous groups, charitable organisations, faithbased
organisations, professional associations, and
foundations” – World Bank, 2013 (55)
Civil society organisations play an effective
role in the areas of stigma removal, advocacy
for mental health, rights protection of the
mentally ill, service related activities and
even research.
Historically, CSOs in mental health have
focused on the rehabilitation of mentally
retarded children. A few organisations like
SCARF (56) Alcoholics Anonymous (57),
Sneha Banyan (58) and Sangath (59) are well
known in the area of mental health and have
contributed significantly in diverse concerns
of mental health. There are organisations,
both for profit and not-for profit working
in areas like mental retardation. In spite of
the best intentions and the diverse areas of
service, the population coverage by NGOs
is limited due to several reasons, the chief
being resource constraints.
Nevertheless, mapping of NGOs in the
respective states is useful for mental health
service delivery, mental health advocacy
and awareness generation. Mental Health
NGOs were reported to be functioning in all
the states that were surveyed excepting in
Jharkhand. Nearly 69 NGOs were reported
to be prominently functioning in the area of
mental health.
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SMHSA