MENTAL HEALTH POLICY

AND PROGRAMME

MS. ANGELINE
M.SC(N) PREVIOUS YEAR
CHOITHRAM COLLEGE OF
NURSING
MANIK BAGH ROAD , INDORE
 MENTAL HEALTH

“Mental health is defined as a state of well-being in

which every individual realizes his or her own potential,
can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work
productively and fruitfully and is able to make a
contribution to her or his community”.

ACCORDING TO WHO
 POLICY PLAN PROGRAM (3P).

POLICY PLANS PROGRAMMES

1. VISION 1. STRATEGIES 1.INTERVENTIONS

2. VALUES 2. TIMEFRAME 2.RESOURCES
3. PRINCIPLES 3. FINANCING 3.BUDGET
4. OBJECTIVES 4. AREAS FOR
ACTION
 MENTAL HEALTH POLICY

Mental health policy is an

organized set of values, principles
and objectives for improving
mental health and reducing the
burden of mental disorders in a
population. NHP was formulated in
1983 and revised in 2002.
 WHY DO WE NEED
MENTAL HEALTH
POLICY?
Written mental health policy:
•Provides a general blueprint
•Gives priority to mental health
•Helps to develop mental health
services in a coordinated, systematic
manner
•Identifies key stakeholders
•Allows different stakeholders to reach
agreement
 OBJECTIVE
•The Main objectives of NHP -2002 is to achieve an
acceptable standard of good health amongst the general
population in the country.

•The approach would be to increase access to the

decentralized public health system by establishing new
infrastructure in deficient areas and by upgrading the
infrastructure in the existing institution
 DEVELOPING A MENTAL HEALTH
POLICY:
•Step 1: Assess the population’s needs.
•Step 2: Gather evidence for effective policy.
•Step 3: Consultation and negotiation.
•Step 4: Exchange with other countries.
•Step 5: Vision, values , principles and objectives .
•Step 6: Determine areas for action .
•Step 7: Identify major roles and responsibilities.
•Step 8: conduct pilot projects.
 NATIONAL MENTAL
HEALTH
PROGRAMME:
The government of India launched
the National Mental health program
(NMHP) in 1982, keeping in view
the heavy burden of mental illness
in the community, and the absolute
inadequacy of mental health care
infrastructure in the country to deal
with it.
 AIMS:

Prevention and treatment of mental neurological

disorders and their associated disabilities.
Use of mental health technology to improve
general health services.
Application of mental health principles in total
national development to improve quality of life.
 OBJECTIVES

To ensure availability and accessibility of minimum mental

health care for all in the foreseeable future, particularly to the
most vulnerable and underprivileged sections of the population.
To encourage application of mental health knowledge in general
health care and social development.
To promote community participation in the mental health
services development and to stimulate efforts towards self- help
in the community.
Basic mental health care to all the needy especially the poor
from rural, slum, and tribal areas.
 Application of mental health knowledge in general health
care and in social development.
 Promotion of community participation in mental health
service development and increase of efforts towards self –
help in the community.
 Prevention and treatment of mental and neurological
disorders and their associated disabilities.
 Use of mental health technology to improve general health
services.
 Application of mental health principles in total national
development to improve quality of life.
 STRATEGIES:

• Integration of mental health with primary health care

through the NMHP.
• Provision of tertiary care institutions for treatment of
mental disorders.
• Eradicating stigmatization of mentally ill patients and
protecting their rights through regulatory institutions
like the central mental health authority , and state
mental health authority .
COMPONENT

•TREATMENT :
MULTIPLE LEVEL
•REHABILITATION
•PREVENTION
 TREATMENT : MULTIPLE LEVELS
A. Village and sub centre level multipurpose workers (MPW) and Health
supervisors (HS), under the supervision of Medical officer (MO) to be
trained for :
• Management of psychiatric emergencies.
• Administration and supervision of maintenance treatment for
chronic psychiatric disorders
• Diagnosis and management of grandmal epilepsy, especially in
children.
• Liaisons with local school teachers and parents regarding mental
retardation and behavioural problems in children.
• Counselling problems related to alcohol and drug abuse.
B. MO of primary health centres (PHC) aided by HS , to
be trained for ;
• Supervisions of MPW’s performance
• Elementary diagnosis
• Treatment of functional psychosis
• Treatment of uncomplicated cases of psychiatric disorders
associated with the physical diseases.
• Management of uncomplicated psychosocial problems.
• Epidemiological surveillance of mental morbidity.
C. District hospitals: it was recognized that there should
be at least on psychiatrist attached to every district
hospitals as an integral part of the district health
services. The district hospitals should have 30-50
psychiatric beds.
The psychiatrist in a district hospitals was envisaged to
devote only a part of his time to clinical care and a
greater part in training and supervisions of non-
specialists health workers.
D. Mental hospitals and teaching psychiatric
units : Major activities of these higher centres of
psychiatric care include :
•Help in care of “difficult” cases.
•Teaching
•Specialized facilities like occupational therapy
units, psychotherapy, counselling and
behavioural therapy.
•REHABILITATION :
The component of this sub program include
treatment of epileptics and psychotics at the
community level and development of
rehabilitation centres at both the districts level
and higher referral centres .
• PREVENTION :
The prevention components is to be community
based , with initial focus on prevention and
control of alcohol – related problems .
Later on problems likes addictions, juvenile
delinquency and acute adjustment problems
like suicidal attempts are to be addressed.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

• Park, Textbook of preventive and social medicine.(2011),1st edition, page:

231-244. BANARSIDAS BHANOT publishers
• World Health Organization. Integrating mental health into primary health
care - a global perspective. Geneva: WHO-WONCA, 2008
• Sridhar,R.B.(2011). Textbook for community health nursing.2nd ed;
pp.no:196-204, AITBS publishers: INDIA
• Sunder.L.,Adarsh & Pankaj.(2009). Textbook of community medicine-
preventive and social medicine.1st ed.pp.no:435-463:CBS publisher,
NEW DELHI
• Kumari.N.(2011). A Textbook of community health nursing.1st ed, pg.no:39-
41. VIKAS & company publishers. INDIA
• http://mohfw.nic.in/,Mnistry of health and family welfare
 THANKYOU

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