Rehabilitation of the Disabled – A call for disability inclusion that must be heeded

Source: This post on Rehabilitation of the Disabled has been created based on the article “A call for disability inclusion that must be heeded” published in “The Hindu” on 30^th December 2023.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 2 Social Justice – Issues relating to Health.

News: The article discusses neuropsychiatric disorders. It also highlights the steps needed to revamp rehabilitation services for Persons with Disabilities, especially with regards to people with neuropsychiatric disorders.

According to the author, 2 important areas for Persons with Disabilities should be in the focus– 1) activities of daily life and 2) quality of life, especially with regards to people with neuropsychiatric disorders (both psychiatric and neurological issues).

Note: Neurology is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of conditions involving the nervous system (brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves). Psychiatry is a medical specialty devoted to mental conditions. These include matters related to mood, behavior, cognition, etc.

What are neuropsychiatric disorders?

1. These include disorders such as autism, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and intellectual disability in childhood.
2. Mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, eating disorder, addictions, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder.
3. Traumatic brain injury, spinal injury, epilepsy, stroke.
4. Neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s dementia and Parkinson’s disease that appear in old age.

What is the current status of disabilities and rehabilitation services?

Nearly 1 billion people are suffering from disabilities worldwide, with 80% of these in developing countries.

According to a report by the WHO, 2.41 billion individuals had neuropsychiatric conditions that would benefit from rehabilitation. However, it has not been prioritized in countries and is under-resourced.

What should be done to improve rehabilitation services for people with neuropsychiatric conditions?

A large number of people are affected by neuropsychiatric conditions around the globe, leading to a large requirement of rehabilitation facilities. The following can be done to improve them:

1. Widening the Coverage: Rehabilitation services must be designed to address the wide spectrum of neurological and mental health problems as opposed to being narrow in concept and led only by specialists.
2. Generating Awareness: There is a need to build awareness in the public that disablement does not need to be endured and can be treated or even reversed.
3. Regarding it as an Essential Service: There is also a need to encourage medical professionals, medical service providers as well as public health professionals to start considering rehabilitation as an essential service.
4. Developing Human Resources: Rehabilitation requires a range of professionals: physical and occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, psychological therapists and professional caregivers. Improving their training and empowering their professional /career growth is important in order for these services to develop and evolve.
5. Developing Holistic Rehab Services: Rehabilitation services need to be multidisciplinary, multicomponent and holistic.
6. Utilising New Scientific Care Methods: There is a need to consider unique methods of care that have emerged through scientific advances.
   For instance, Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) procedures have been useful in the care and rehabilitation of neurological and mental health conditions.
7. Collaboration among Public and Private Sector: It is crucial for governments, the public and private sectors to collaborate and find innovative solutions for persons with disabilities.

Question for practice:

What are neuropsychiatric disorders? What can be done to revamp rehabilitation services for Persons with Disabilities, especially in the context of people with neuropsychiatric disorders.