Correct Answer : Meghalaya
The Meghalaya cabinet has approved a policy aimed at addressing issues of mental health and social care through collaborative engagement with communities, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said.
* Meghalaya is the third state in the country to have introduced such a policy, paying attention to issues of mental health, especially among children, adolescents and youth..
* Officials said that the new policy seeks to address the social determinants of mental ill-health and ensure cultural security with collaborative engagement with the communities it intends to serve.
* It also aims to promote overall mental health and wellbeing and facilitate appropriate access and care pathways for common and severe mental health concerns, with focus on person-centred care.
* Health Minister James PK Sangma stated that the policy was culturally-rooted in the state, and looks to address the stigma linked with mental health.
* “It is a community-centric initiative and will improve recognition, rehabilitation and reformation, necessary for creating awareness and building support systems,” he explained.
* Sangma noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had highlighted the need to devise an inclusive and robust institutional response, especially for vulnerable groups.
* Kerala and Karnataka are the other two states in the country to have such policies.
* In 2014, the Centre launched the first-ever National Mental Health Policy in an attempt to provide universal psychiatry care..
Source : The Print
