The Ministry of Health has decided to conduct a national survey to determine the prevalence of mental illness in the Maldives.
Speaking to PSM News, Deputy Minister of Health Safiyya Mohamed Saeed said it is necessary to determine the prevalence of mental illness in the country on a national level study. She said the study is currently being prepared and will begin next year once the funds are available.
The health ministry said the study will collect data on the prevalence of mental illness and disease in the Maldives. The ministry said the study will help identify the area with the highest number of individuals suffering from mental illnesses as well as the areas where services need to be expanded and resources need to be increased. The ministry said the study will be conducted in accordance with the standards of similar studies in other countries.
The number of individuals seeking treatment for mental illness is increasing in the Maldives. The Centre of Mental Health opened in 2019 at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) with more than 55,000 people receiving treatment so far.
The government is expanding services to treat mental illnesses by establishing centres and building people to treat the patients. The government has arranged treatment for mental health to be available free of charge under Aasandha Company Limited. The government is making efforts to ensure that the service is available across the country. As such, treatment for mental illnesses has been arranged in five atolls.