Mental health experts mentored by AIIMS counsel 7,000 Tihar inmates

The Delhi Prison Administration in collaboration with an NGO - Mental Health Foundation and mentored by AIIMS had started the intensive counselling services on April 16 last year as part of 'Project Samarthan'.

New Delhi: In a bid to check on mental and behavioural disorders among inmates lodged in the Tihar Prison Complex, the Delhi Prison Administration has provided counselling to as many as 7,000 inmates.

The Delhi Prison Administration in collaboration with an NGO - Mental Health Foundation and mentored by AIIMS had started the intensive counselling services on April 16 last year as part of 'Project Samarthan'.

"Last year we went into a partnership with AIIMS and Medical Health Foundation of India. Under this we started a project in which we started to concentrate on the mental health of inmates coming into the prison system," he added.

The tools of the project has been developed on the guidelines of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In last few years, prevalence of disorders have markedly increased in prisons due to many reasons like overcrowding, isolation from the social network, insecurity about future, delayed judicial proceeding and poor mental health services in prison.

Through this process, the jail authority has witnessed a decrease in violent cases, disobedience of instruction of the jail staff and suicide cases.