The number of psychiatric patients in the Central Armed Police Forces has increased by nearly 38% from 3,584 in 2020 to 4,940 in 2022, the Union government told Parliament on Wednesday.
Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai gave the figures in response to a question by Rajya Sabha MP Rakesh Sinha.
In his response, Rai said that the Central Armed Police Forces avail the services of psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and counsellors from government and medical institutions.
He said that there are five psychiatric doctors in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force, four in the Border Security Force, three in the Central Reserve Police Force and one each in Sashastra Seema Bal and the Assam Rifles.
On August 1, Rai had told the Lok Sabha that 658 personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces and Assam Rifles died by suicide from 2018 to 2022.
As per the home ministry’s data, 230 personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force took their own lives in this period, as also 174 from the Border Security Force, 91 from the Central Industrial Security Force, 65 from the Sashastra Seema Bal, 51 from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force and 47 from the Assam Rifles.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!