AIIMS M.Sc. Nsg Entra…: & x20;The primary objective of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) is to?& x20;

AIIMS M.Sc. Nsg Entrance exam-2026

Mental Health Nursing

Easy

Appeared in: AIIMS M.Sc. Nsg Entrance exam-2026

Explanation

The core goal of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) is to integrate mental health services into the existing primary healthcare infrastructure.
This approach aims to make mental healthcare accessible, affordable, and available at the grassroots level, especially in rural and underserved areas.
It represents a strategic shift from institution-based psychiatric care to a more inclusive and decentralized community-based model.
Key activities include training primary healthcare workers, ensuring the availability of essential medicines, and conducting public awareness campaigns to reduce stigma.

Option A: Medical research is a crucial aspect of advancing mental health, but it is not the primary service-delivery objective of a district-level program. This role is typically fulfilled by national bodies like ICMR and academic institutions.
Option B: This option contradicts the fundamental principle of DMHP, which is decentralization. The program's goal is to bring care closer to communities, not to further concentrate advanced services in tertiary centers, which are often inaccessible to the rural population.
Option D: The DMHP model is based on integration, not segregation. Building separate psychiatric hospitals is an outdated, costly, and stigmatizing approach. The program leverages existing PHCs and CHCs to provide care.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Primary objective of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP) as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Nurses at the PHC and CHC level are the frontline workers in the DMHP. They are responsible for screening, identifying potential mental health issues, providing basic counseling, administering and monitoring medication, and making appropriate referrals.
Understanding DMHP is crucial for community health nurses as they play a key role in conducting IEC activities, reducing stigma, and ensuring regular follow-up for patients with mental illness within the community.
What if a patient with a known mental illness, who is stable on medication, moves to a new village? A nurse aware of the DMHP framework would know to connect with the local PHC and ASHA worker to ensure the patient's treatment is not interrupted and they are integrated into the local follow-up system.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core subject of the question, which is the 'District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)'.
The question asks for the 'primary objective'. This requires you to identify the main, central goal of the program, not just a secondary function.
Evaluate each option based on the principles of modern public health in India, which emphasize accessibility, affordability, and integration.
Option A (research) is a specialized function, not a primary service goal for a district program.
Option B (tertiary care) and D (exclusive hospitals) represent centralized, institutional models, which are the opposite of the community-based approach of DMHP.
Option C (integration at primary level) directly reflects the core strategy of decentralizing care and making it accessible to the masses, which is the hallmark of DMHP.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Primary objective of the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP)
Stem keywords: District Mental Health Programme, DMHP, primary objective
Lead-in keywords: is to
Negative lead-in flag: false

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