National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences

The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences is a multidisciplinary Institute for patient care and academic pursuit in the frontier area of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences. The Lunatic Asylum which came into being in the latter part of the 19th Century was renamed as Mental Hospital in 1925 by the erstwhile Government of Mysore. This hospital and All India Institute of Mental Health established in 1954 by Government of India were amalgamated on 27th December 1974, and thus was formed the autonomous National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS). The priority gradiant adopted at the Institute is service, manpower development and research. Multidisciplinary integrated approach is the mainstay of this institute, paving the way to translate the results from the bench to the bedside. On November 14, 1994, NIMHANS has been declared a Deemed University by the University Grants Commission, with academic autonomy. The Institute functions under the direction of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Karnataka. Several National and International funding organisations provide resources for research.

The Institute is recognized as foremost in the area of mental health in India. Advanced programmes in the area of services, training and research have been developed in the area of biological, behavioral and basic sciences in relation to the brain-mind-behavior-axis. The discipline of mental health and neurological sciences faces an acute human resource shortage. As per health ministry estimates the shortage level is around 80 per cent for doctors, psychiatric nurses and psychologists. There were many Indian districts which don’t even have a mental health professional. The country had about 3,300 qualified psychiatrists. Nearly 80 per cent of mental health specialists have received their training from NIMHANS. The Institute boasts of several renowned psychiatrists settled both in India and abroad and has a good alumni network. However, NIMHANS does not have a placement cell so students have to look for work after completing their course.

Established : 1954