Workshop on mental health systems assessment held

A consensus workshop on the Mental Health Systems Assessment (MHSA) for the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands was held on March 16. The workshop was organised by the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS) in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS).

The workshop focused on evaluating existing mental health-care services and identifying actionable strategies to strengthen infrastructure, service delivery, and policy frameworks across the islands.

Vandana Rao, IAS, Secretary (Health), Andaman and Nicobar Administration, who presided as the chief guest, lauded the efforts of the research team and field investigators for successfully conducting the survey across geographically challenging island regions.

Girish N. Rao, Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Principal Investigator of the National Mental Health Survey-2 (NMHS-2) from NIMHANS, highlighted the national importance of the survey in guiding evidence-based mental health policy and service delivery.

The workshop was led by Ajay Raj S and Kushal Baidya, Principal Investigators of NMHS-2, along with Co-Principal Investigators Samar Hossain, Aanchal Anand, and Pooja Govind, who facilitated stakeholder consultations under the MHSA framework.

The findings are expected to contribute to strengthening the National Mental Health Programme.