Mental Health in India: Current Status, Challenges and Way Forward

Description

Page: 458-465

Sabeen Hasan Rizvi¹ and Sohini Chakraborty² (Department of Psychology, Gargi College, University of Delhi, Delhi¹ and Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, Delhi²)

India’s mental health field presents a paradox wherein robust legislative frameworks coexist with profound service delivery challenges. The Mental Healthcare Act 2017 and the National Mental Health Programme established comprehensive policy foundations, yet treatment gaps exceed 85 per cent across common mental disorders, leaving approximately 150 million Indians without adequate mental health services (National Mental Health Survey, 2016). This analysis examines the complex interplay between progressive policy development and persistent implementation challenges that continue to undermine service accessibility across diverse population segments. Three interconnected barriers emerge as primary impediments to effective mental health service delivery. Workforce shortages create unsustainable caseloads. Intersectional discrimination systematically excludes marginalized communities, whose experiences of caste-based oppression, gender inequality, economic marginalization, and geographic isolation remain inadequately addressed by current service models. Implementation deficits persist through insufficient integration of evidence-based practices with culturally responsive methodologies, particularly impacting tribal populations, religious minorities, and gender-diverse individuals whose complex identities intersect to create compounding vulnerabilities. The analysis reveals how demographic advantage becomes a demographic liability when mental health systems fail to address structural inequalities. With a huge youth population, India’s economic trajectory depends fundamentally on the mental health system’s effectiveness. Transformation requires strategic workforce development prioritizing recruitment from marginalized communities, regulatory frameworks ensuring scientific integrity while maintaining cultural competence, and research methodologies that capture intersectional experiences through community-participatory approaches. Only through systematic dismantling of structural barriers can India translate legislative achievements into meaningful service delivery that addresses the lived realities of its most vulnerable citizens.