IIT Jodhpur's Research Highlights Role of Social Stigma in Low Reporting of Mental Disorders in India

IIT Jodhpur brought attention to alarming trends in the reporting of mental disorders in India. According to their research, the self-disclosure of mental illness was found to be less than 1%, as indicated by the 75th Round National Sample Survey conducted in 2017-18. Check details here 

IIT Jodhpur: A new study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Jodhpur highlighted problematic patterns in the documentation of mental health issues in India. The research uncovered that the rates of self-reported mental health concerns are significantly low. It was found that the majority of self-reported mental illnesses was under 1%, as per the data from the 75th Round National Sample Survey conducted in 2017-18. 

Furthermore, the research highlighted the considerable financial burden faced by those seeking mental health care, primarily because of dependence on private healthcare services. The study, which utilized logistic regression models, revealed that individuals with higher incomes were 1.73 times more likely to report mental health issues compared to their lower-income counterparts.

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.

Important Findings from the Research

• Low Self-Reporting of Mental Disorders: The study indicated that the rate at which mental disorders are self-reported in India is significantly lower than the true extent of these health conditions.
• 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.
• 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.
• Limited Health Insurance Coverage: A mere 23% of individuals hospitalized for mental disorders had health insurance coverage at the national level.
• High Out-of-Pocket Expenditure: The 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. Individuals, fearing social judgment, often choose silence over seeking help."

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