Meghalaya became the third state in the country to implement a comprehensive mental health and social care policy on November 29. Chief Minister Conrad Sangma announced on Twitter that the Meghalaya Cabinet had approved the Meghalaya mental health and social care policy.
“As a State and as a Government, we strongly felt that mental health issues have been neglected for a very long time and hence, a comprehensive policy was required to address the same,” he said.
Cabinet approved the Meghalaya Mental Health & Social Care Policy. He also added that this policy will ensure proper attention to mental health especially for children, adolescents and youth.
Policy to promote overall mental health and well-being
The Meghalaya mental health and social care policy’s vision is to promote overall mental health and well-being while also facilitating appropriate access and care pathways for common and severe mental health concerns. Its goal is to reduce disability, morbidity, mortality, and social suffering.
Through collaborative engagement with the communities it intends to serve, the policy aims to address the social determinants of mental illness and ensure cultural security.
Health minister James K Sangma on Tuesday tweeted, “The policy is culturally rooted in our state and looks to address the stigma linked with mental health. The policy is also community-centric and will improve recognition, rehabilitation and reformation, necessary for creating awareness and building support systems.”
“With the pandemic highlighting the need to devise an inclusive and robust institutional response, especially for vulnerable groups, our Government is committed towards improving the psychological and overall social well-being of our people through this policy,” he added.
Besides Meghalaya, Kerala and Karnataka are the other two states in the country to have such policies.
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