Far west unveils five-year strategic plan to tackle mental health crisis
Dhangadhi: A comprehensive five-year provincial mental health and psychosocial strategic action plan has been introduced in the Far West Province to improve access to mental health services and address growing psychosocial challenges.
Covering the period from 2082 to 2087 BS, the action plan seeks to integrate mental health as a priority within the existing health system, aiming for universal, equitable, and accessible services. The plan emphasizes strengthening the province’s healthcare system and improving mental and psychosocial health service delivery.
The strategic focus includes promoting public awareness about mental health issues, ensuring access to quality care, timely identification and management of mental health problems, and minimizing associated risks and complications. Key priorities also involve managing human resources, ensuring availability of essential medicines and medical supplies, integrating mental health services during emergencies and disasters, and fostering coordination with government, non-government, and private stakeholders.
Currently, over 70 percent of individuals with mental health conditions in Nepal are deprived of necessary services, primarily due to a lack of specialists and proper management within health institutions.
Experts estimate that 5.2 percent of adolescents aged 13 to 17 and 10 percent of adults above 18 suffer from mental health issues. Suicide rates attributed to complex mental health conditions are rising annually.
Himal Gaire, Head of Policy, Strategy, and Good Governance at the Mental Health and Counseling Center (CMC), expressed optimism about the plan’s potential to address mental health challenges in the Far West. He believes its implementation will improve public perception of mental illness and help reduce suicide and drug abuse cases.
“Before drafting the strategy, we collected input from stakeholders in Dadeldhura, Bajhang, Baitadi, and Kanchanpur,” Gaire said. “Similar strategic plans have already been introduced in Karnali and Lumbini provinces.”
The plan was developed through a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Social Development and CMC. Stakeholder feedback was also gathered in Dhangadhi during the plan’s formulation.
According to Sunita Sharma, an official from the Ministry of Social Development, ‘depression’ and ‘anxiety’ are the leading mental health issues in Nepal, accounting for 28 percent and 40 percent of cases respectively.
Dr. Hemraj Regmi, Secretary of the Ministry of Social Development, noted that resolving mental health challenges requires collective effort beyond just the ministry’s initiatives. Other speakers, including ministry official Narendra Singh Karki and clinical psychologist Dr. Pashupati Mahat, also shared insights on addressing mental health issues.
The World Health Organization reports a global suicide rate of 11 per 100,000 population among people with mental illness, while Nepal’s rate stands at 23.4 per 100,000.
Factors contributing to mental health issues in developing countries include war, natural disasters, accidents, poverty, discrimination, child neglect, loneliness, prolonged stress or illness, and substance abuse.