Models and roles in National Mental Health Programme

In India, National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) was started in 1982 with the primary objectives of ensuring availability and accessibility of minimum mental healthcare for all. In 1985, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, had developed Bellary model of District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), to achieve the objectives of National Mental Health Programme (NHMP). The current DMHP has more scope for the nurses to deliver mental health services as psychiatric nurse and community nurse. Hardly, one-third of districts in India are covered under DMHP and the service utilization is also to be strengthened. Psychiatric nurses have greater scope to transform all these existing challenges into opportunities.