Current status of mental health practices in India

Pages: 395-405
Vandita Sharma (Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences, Delhi)
Samant Pushpak Kumar Jena (Department of Applied Psychology, University of Delhi, South Campus, Delhi )
Tej Bahadur Singh (Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Human Behaviour & Allied Sciences, Delhi)

The status of mental health in India has still been a matter of grave concern for the health management systems of the country. Practices related to mental health of individuals has evolved from a state of denial of mental illness to a currently changed situation as now even the rural population is bringing the effected individuals to formal health care institutions. An effort has been made by authors to examine various mental health practices, issues related to mental health, and their current status in India. The traditional healing practices and beliefs related to mental health in India have been explored in detail. The treatment efficacy of the scientific psychotherapeutic techniques emerging from ancient Indian thinking has also been discussed. The myths, beliefs and reasons for not approaching a mental health professional by the client or their caregivers as specific issues of concern have been described. Finally, the last section of the paper discusses the current status of community mental health, disaster management systems, progress of psycho-oncology, and emergence and scope of tele-psychiatry in India.