Bengaluru: National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciss (Nimhans) will launch the Mammoth study from February 2022 to assess the mental health of residents living in Metro cities, especially after a pandemic.
‘City and mental health’ tiles, this study will also multiply as the second phase of a national mental health survey.
This study will be conducted in six major cities – Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad – and Tier-2 of Mysuru and Hubballi-Dharwad in Karnataka.
“The size of the survey sample will be nearly 20,000 respondents,” said Dr.
Pratima Murthy, during a national symposium in cities and mental health in Bengaluru on Friday.
“At least 3,600 people in each city will be interviewed.
Surveyors will be trained online, and the process will begin soon.” Dr.
Pradeep BS, Professor & Head, Epidemiology Department, Nimhans, told toi that during the phase-1 National Mental Health Survey 2015- 16, Mega cities were deliberately guarded so as not to get out of research.
Now, phase-2 surveys will only include the city.
“With fast urbanization, the dynamics of mental health problems in different megacities of rural areas,” said Dr.
Pradeep.
“So, this survey will only focus on megacities.” Surveyors will assess various mental health problems that arise including social media effects, gaming addiction, behavioral anxiety, memory disorders and the impact of Covid-19, said Dr Murthy.
He said Helpline Psycho-Social Nimhans had prepared at the beginning of the pandemic had received more than six Lakh calls, but not all were related to mental health problems.
“His call is more about accessing services, economic problems, child care and violence,” said Dr Murthy.
“They don’t have to be about mental health problems but about everyday life difficulties.” Dr.
G Gururaj, Epidemiology and Former Director of Nimhans, while overcoming the symposium, said according to the National Mental Health survey report, the care gap for mental health problems in Indian cities was 70% to 90%.
“Those who have mental health problems that can be recognized are not looking for timely care, leading to large gaps in care.
Even though there is treatment,” he said.
Deciphering rapid urbanization, Dr.
Takurutaj said that per census in 2011, 53 cities in India had a population of more than one million.
“In 2030, India will have more than 68 cities that have a population of one million or more,” he said.
“Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad is projected to be a megacities.
In 2050, one of every two individuals in India is expected to live in urban areas.” He said the urbanization rate tended to increase over the next few years, adding that someone could imagine stress.
It will add to the life of urban residents.
Psychological First Aid in Apartment: The authorities in Nimhans also launched the Bengaluru Urban Mental Health Initiative (BUMHI) module, which was established in collaboration with the Biocon Foundation.
“This is an urban mental health programming model for the whole city,” said Dr.
Pradeep.
“We have created 13 modules and as a pilot project we will use these modules to train voluntary support providers in the apartment complex at the South Zone BBMP,” he added.
Support providers will manage ‘first aid psychological support’ to anyone in a complex apartment and then refer them to the mental health care unit for extensive maintenance, said Dr.
Pradeep.