District Mental Health Programme, Tamil Nadu

DMHP is a community based mental Health care programme based on the

guidelines of National Mental Health Programmes fully funded by the Government of India

with the prime objective of reaching the unreached.

In Tamilnadu, DMHP was launched in 1997 in Trichy and it was extended to

Madurai and Ramnathapuram in 2001. Based on the efficacy of the project, the Government

of India has extended the programme in another 13 districts in a phased manner in Tamil

Nadu.

AIM OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF DMHP

 To ensure availability and accessibility of mental health care to all the most
vulnerable and under-privileged.

 Integration of Basic Mental Health care with general health services.

 To promote Community Participation in the mental health services and to

stimulate efforts towards Self-help.

 To Increase Awareness about mental health in general public.

OBJECTIVES OF DMHP

 Early detection and treatment of patients within the community itself.

 To see that the patients and their relatives do not have to travel long
distances to go to hospital or nursing homes in the cities.

 To take pressure off the mental hospitals.

 To reduce the stigma attached towards mental illness through change of

attitude and public education.

 To treat and rehabilitate patients discharged from psychiatric hospitals

within the community.
 On the whole, Tamil Nadu has the highest numbers of DMHP implementing

districts, presently DMHP is being implemented in 16 districts of Tamil Nadu such as

Trichy, Ramnad, Madurai, Theni, Erode, Cuddalore, Kancheepuram, Kanyakumari,

Nagapattinam, Nammakkal, Dharmapuri, Perumbalur, Tiruvarur, Thiruvallur, Chennai

and Virudhuagar (Presently, Trichy District has been undertaken by the State Government

and Madurai and Ramnathapuram proposals for its undertaken is in process.) and new

proposal for extend the DMHP for six more districts has also submitted to NRHM for its

approval

The professionals of District Mental Health Programme are regularly

conducting the awareness programme, treatment camps, home visits in their

respective districts which helps the community to overcome from their social stigma,

facilitate the early identification, treatment and enhancing their coping resource in

order to prevent mental illness and suicide.

The Phases of DMHP implementation:

 Awareness Programme (Information, Education and Communication

activities)

 Treatment Programme

 Training Programme

Awareness Programme:

The awareness programmes have been conducted throughout the district

through Street Theatres, Pamphlets and Mental Health Festivals which in turn

educate the participants about Mental Health and eradicate their stigma against

mental illness. There was a spontaneous response from the public and also a steep

increase in the referral to Government Hospital. So far, 125 street plays have been

conducted in and around the districts.

Street Drama on Mental Health @ Ramanathapuram

Training:

Basic Mental Health Training was given to the Medical personnel, Para-

medical and Non-Medicals such as Panchayat Leaders, Self Help Groups, Police

Personnel and Judicial Personnel which includes identification and initiation of basic
treatment. So for ‘1140’ Medical Offciers,’2298’Para-medicals and ‘3946’Non-

medicals were trained on Basic Mental Health, Early Identification and Treatment.

Mental Health Training for Medical Officers-Madurai ,Virudhunagar

Mental Health Training for Paramedical-Cuddalore

Treatment:

Under DMHP, an Out Patient department ten bed Psychiatric wards have

been established in all the District Head Quarters Hospitals where DMHP is being
implemented with the necessary medical equipments such as: Boyles Apparatus,

Blood Pressure and Ophthalmoscope.

The mobile teams which consist of Psychiatrist, Psychologist and a Psychiatric

Social worker have been established in all the DMHP implemented districts. They

are conducting the treatment camps in the respective taluks of the each DMHP

districts. Since its inception, there are about ‘11’ Lakhs persons with mental disabilities are

benefited through DMHP.

Salient features of District Mental Health Programme-Tamil Nadu :

 Ten bed Psychiatric wards have established in all the districts were DMHP is
being implemented and also equipped with the necessary medical
equipments as follows : Boyles Apparatus, Blood Pressure Apparatus,
Ophthalmoscope

 Psychiatrists are posted in all the districts, filling up the post of Psychologists
& Psychiatric Social worker is in process.

 Basic Psychiatric Medicines are available at the PHCs level in the Programme
Districts.

 The Suicide Prevention Centre is established in all the 16 DMHP districts.

 In a nationwide survey on the overall satisfaction with quality of services

provided under the District Mental Health Programme, Tamil Nadu
especially Madurai topped scoring 9.6 out of 10.

 Formed an advisory committee to monitor the functioning of DMHP at

district level in which the District Collector is a Chairman and the members of
the family federation are one of the committee members.

 Periodical Monitoring is being done by the Secretary at the State Level and by
the respective collectors at district level.