According to the latest Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) study, high expenditure on mental disorders is driving up families’ healthcare budgets and pushing an estimated 20% of Indian households with a member with a mental disorder into poverty. The findings are based on a National Sample Survey (NSS) of 1.18 lakh households and 5.76 lakh individuals conducted between July and December 2018. The survey included 6,679 people who reported having a mental illness. A first-of-its-kind study in India discovered that more than 18.1% of total household healthcare budget was spent on mental care. Apart from bipolar mood disorders, depression, dementia, and intellectual impairments, mental health issues are defined as having abnormal thoughts, emotions, behavior, and relationships.
People in smaller regions such as Daman and Diu (23.4%), Himachal Pradesh (23.9%), and Sikkim (31.9%) spend the most on mental disorders when compared to the rest of the country. Among the larger states, Maharashtra (21.3%) and Telangana (22.2%) rank first and second, respectively. According to the study, 59.5 percent of households had catastrophic health expenditures. According to the study, India is experiencing a severe mental health crisis, with illnesses accounting for one-sixth of all health-related disorders, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia. According to the study, there is an urgent need to provide financial risk protection in order to reduce the impact of healthcare expenditure on mental illnesses.
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