Mental Health Issues In Indian Prisons Are At An All-Time High

Spread the love

  • Research shows that there is a recent surge of mental health issues in jails in India.
  • Experts recommend rights-based legislative changes and their strict implementation to combat the growing crisis.

The Growing Cases

Recent nationwide surveys like the Tata Trusts’ India Justice Report and the Prison Statistics India report reveal the spike in mental health issues in prisons. The causes have been attributed to difficulties posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, like suspension of family visits, more stringent physical and mental healthcare access, poor psychiatric infrastructure, etc. They also reported the lack of recognition of the broad spectrum of mental illness within the Indian legislature and the criminal justice system.

Recent reports, however, have been accused of downplaying the actual number of incarcerated with mental health issues or deaths by suicide, with experts harking back to a 2011 study published by the Indian Journal of Psychiatry that suggested that 23.8% of the 500 surveyed prisoners suffered from psychiatric illness.

The Solution

While the mental health of Indian prison inmates is covered under the Mental Health Care Act (2017), there is a lack of implementation of existing laws that guarantee rights to prisoners with mental health issues. Experts recommend monitoring prisoners’ mental health conditions and suicidal tendencies through buddy systems, psychological first aid, telemedicine, awareness classes, and mental health workshops.

They also recommend improving the pre-existing prison-related legislation and establishing regulatory bodies that will supervise the implementation of the legal provisions. A more rights-based legal framework in jails will provide inmates suffering from mental illness proper access to better living conditions, medicines, rehabilitation facilities, and mental health establishments.

Vijay Raghavan, a researcher at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, elaborated that “long-term prisoners could also be trained for peer-counseling and prison staff can be sensitized” to address mental health issues in jails across the country.

Know More About –

  1. Good Mental Health
  2. Self-Harm
  3. Meditation
  1. 20 Little Choices That Lead To A Beautiful Life
  2. 16 Uncomfortable Signs Your Life Is About To Get Better
  3. 4 Simple Daily Practices That Can Make You Happier, Based On Studies

Spread the love
  • Study Reveals How Our Brain Responds To Surprising Events

    Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) revealed how…

  • The Link Between Mental Health And Gun Violence

    Experts provide insight into how mental health and gun violence…

  • Ruby Barker, Of Netflix’s Bridgerton Fame, Opens Up About Her Trauma And Mental Health Struggles

    Ruby Barker, the Netflix star hospitalized for mental health issues,…

  • You Can “Steer” Your Dark Triad Personality Towards Agreeableness, Study Finds

    Researchers explored ways to reduce Dark Triad personality traits.

  • Men Make More Extreme Choices In Life Than Women, Study Finds

    Researchers at Princeton University examined how gender differences in life…

  • Couples With Joint Bank Accounts Last Longer, Study Finds

    Researchers at Cornell University studied the link between joint finances…

  • Johnny Depp and Amber Heard Case: Spotlight On Rare Personality Disorders

    Understanding Amber Heard’s mental health diagnosis of two personality disorders…

  • London Cab Drivers Have Bigger Brains, Study Reveals

    Researchers at University College London, the UK, revealed how British…

  • Heard vs. Depp Trial: Role Of Mental Health In Intimate Relationships

    Experts opine how the recent Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard…

  • Social Curiosity Fuels Gossip, Study Finds

    German researchers showed how social curiosity fuels gossip.

  • Herschel Walker’s Mental Health Battle With Dissociative Identity Disorder

    How American footballer Herschel Walker battled DID and wrote a…

  • What Natalia Dyer’s “Anorexia” Can Teach Us About Eating Disorders And Body Shaming

    Experts opine how “body speculations” betray the truth about eating…

  • Selma Blair’s Memoir Highlights How Multiple Sclerosis Impacts Our Physical And Mental Health

    How Hollywood actress Selma Blair reignited the conversation around multiple…

  • Why Do Older People Dream In Black And White?

    A team of American researchers explored why our dreams have…

  • Men And Women Have Different Friendship Preferences, Study Finds

    American researchers explored the differences between male and female friendships.

  • Loneliness And Depression Are Linked In Older Adults, Study Finds

    Researchers at Massey University, New Zealand, study the link between…

  • How Does Mental Health Therapy With A Desi Touch Works In India?

    Mental health experts opine that decolonized and ‘Indianized’ therapy approaches…

  • Copying Others In Social Situations Makes You A Risk Taker: Study

    Researchers at the University of Konstanz (Germany) explored the link…

  • Music And Empathy Can Enhance Our Social Cognition, Study Finds

    A team of international researchers at Southern Methodist University explored…

  • Is There Any Link Between Changes In Climate And Sleep Loss?

    Recent research explores the link between climate change and sleeps…

  • Can Video Games Improve Intelligence In Children?

    Researchers at Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, explored how video games enhanced…

  • People Choose Healthier Food For Fear Of Judgment, Study Finds

    Researchers studied how people choose healthier food options to impress…

  • Having A Large Family Size Impacts Cognition In Old Age: Study

    Researchers explored the link between high fertility, family size, and…

  • Did You Know Intense Sports Training Affects Our Mood?

    Researchers at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Spain, studied how…

  • Mental Health And Dating: Is There A Link?

    Experts opine the links between dating apps, dating lives, and…

  • Is It True That Sleep Helps To Process Emotions?

    Researchers explored how sleep helps to process emotions and memories.

  • Study Finds The Difference Between Psychopaths and Non-Psychopaths

    Researchers studied the underlying neurodevelopmental mechanisms in psychopathy.