Notwithstanding greater awareness about mental illness, only 10 to 20 per cent of the affected population in the national Capital receives psychiatric treatment and many of them are homeless, revealed a research conducted by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The revelation was made during a National Seminar for Homeless & Other Unreached Persons with Mental Illnesses (PMIs).

Speaking at the Seminar, Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain said, “Around 80 per cent people fall sick due to mental disorder and rest 20 per cent are because of other problems. The major issue of the mental disorder is the greed and that is the area where we need to work.”

Highlighting the practice of ignorance in the society, he said, “Mental illness’ issue is that a particular person thinks that only I have done for the society. If a person is studying in eminent institutes like (the) IIT, then, he/she should not forget the contribution of the society. Now, the time has come when we need to give back at least something to the society.”

The Minister also pointed out to the growing problem of people spending their major time on social medial instead of interacting with each other in person.

Similarly, Supreme Court judge Justice AK Sikri raising a concern about the rights of persons with mental illness, saying it was an issue of their human rights and they had a right to live with dignity.

“It is no more a health issue alone now. It is an issue of their human rights also as they are not getting the suitable environment which they need. They have the right to live like any other person. We are talking about the legal rights of the mentally-ill persons,” he said.

According to the research conducted by ICMR on urban mental health across three cities including Delhi in the year between 2004 and 2009, approximately 8 to 10 per cent of population in Delhi suffers from psychiatric illnesses like depression, anxiety and schizophrenia, among others.  

As per some data, around 5,000 of women and children are homeless in Delhi. Apart from homeless on streets, there are thousands of people living with the families are mentally ill, the research added.

The two-day Seminar has been organised at the India International Centre by the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLASA), Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS), Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Science (IHBAS) and the State Mental Health Authority (SMHA).