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This study was Sri Lanka’s first ever island wide comprehensive mental health survey. It was carried out by the Institute for Research & Development in 2007, commissioned by the Directorate of Mental Health, and funded by the Sri Lanka Health Sector Development Project of the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition.
The survey was divided into 3 parts; community and school based surveys, and a survey of attitudes of professionals and the public on mental health in Sri Lanka. The survey was planned to cover all 25 districts, however due to the civil war, it was not possible to cover the northern and eastern provinces.
Community survey included a total of 6120 participants (aged 16 to 65 years). A total of 3777 children were recruited for the school survey from each district. The mental health literacy and attitudes survey part was conducted to capture attitudes of different categories of professionals and public’s attitudes on mental illnesses. A report has been submitted to the Ministry of Health with conclusions and recommendations.
Institute for Research and Development in Health and Social Care. (2007). Baseline National Surveys; Schools and Community Based, to assess the Prevalence of Mental Illness including Suicidal Ideations and to Study the Attitutdes of Professionals and the Public, on Mental Health in Sri Lanka. https://www.ird.lk/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/NMHS-Final-Report-15-10-2008.pdf