Why Mental Health in India Matters Now More Than Ever? India is the largest democracy, yet for decades, mental health has been silenced. With a population of over 1.3 billion, the mental health and well-being of citizens are essential building blocks of national growth and productivity. According to the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS)2015-2016, about 10.6% of Indian adults, roughly 150 million people, require active mental health intervention, and 70-92% of them receive no treatment.
The World Health Organisation (WHO,2016) estimates that India, facing mental health problems, has 2443 disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) per 10,000 population, and the age-adjusted suicide rate per 10,0000 population is 21.1. Apart from these statistics, they underscore the urgent need for individuals to realise their potential, cope with life’s stresses, work productively, and build a healthy community (WHO, 2016).
After the pandemic, mental health became a focus and was acknowledged as an essential component of every citizen. Social, cultural, and economic factors are also major contributors to the gap between access to care and the right to seek professional help. Once a marginalised topic, it is now mandatory to address in Indian policies and human welfare. In recent times, government and NGO’s awareness and initiatives have widened to integrate mental health into physical health to ensure the citizens’ mental health and well-being, which were once stigmatised and neglected.
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Evolutionary Path of Indian Mental Health Policies: Colonial and Post-Independence Period
By tracing the Historical trajectory, India’s Mental health policy is deeply connected with the colonial period; mental health care in India was institutionalised by British law and policies. Early mental health legislation introduced the Lunatic Removal Act of 1851, modelled on English legislation. It aimed to facilitate the repatriation of British offenders with mental illness. The Indian Lunatic Asylum Act of 1858 established asylums to segregate those deemed “dangerous” or “unfit” to society. Then the post-independence period followed asylum-based care. It remains fragmented, and no policies have been framed.
Limitations
- It focuses on operating asylums rather than on rehabilitation or community reintegration.
- It remains isolated from primary and general healthcare.
- Services and containment are available in urban areas, not focusing on rural areas
- People’s stigmatising view of mental illness
Read More: Mental Health: A Privilege or Fundamental Right
Mental Health Care Act 1987
The Mental Health Care Act was India’s first major legislative attempt to modernise mental care. The fundamental aim of mental health legislation is to protect, promote, and improve the lives and mental well-being of citizens. It introduced new provisions for voluntary admission, establishment of central and state mental health authorities, and the regulation of psychiatric hospitals and nursing homes. The Indian Constitution also guarantees certain fundamental rights to all its citizens. It integrates mental health into primary healthcare. It expanded into the District Mental Health Program (DMHP, 1996) and aimed at decentralisation and community-based care.
Limitations
- Focusing largely on a custodial approach rather than community-based services.
- Implementation process uneven
- Shortage of resources and trained professionals
- Lack of awareness
- Poor monitoring and evaluation
Mental Health Care Act 2017 (MHCA)
Recognising the limitations of the 1987 Mental Health Care Act and its international human rights obligations, India enacted the Mental Health Care Act of 2017. MHCA aimed to adopt a rights-based approach.
Decriminalizes suicide and provides legal recognition of patient autonomy. Ensure access to affordable, high-quality mental health services. Mental health services should be integrated into general and primary health services to ensure parity and reduce isolation. MHCA also provides mental healthcare professionals to prevent suicides. It emphasised community-based living over institutionalisation and focused on inclusiveness. It brings the Indian law, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
Read More: A Deep Dive into the Mental Healthcare Act 2017
Limitations:
- There is a severe shortage of mental health professionals: only about 0.75 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, far below the WHO norm of 3 per 100,000.
- Funding constraints and problems in comprehensive implementation
- Inadequate infrastructure and workforce
- People are unaware of their rights under the Act
Read More: Measuring the Pulse: Evaluating India’s Mental Health Infrastructure and Policy Implementation
Policy Shifts in Post-COVID:
- After the COVID wave, people have severe mental health problems of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, isolation, behavioural changes, and suicides across all age groups. The government is striving to expand NMHP to integrate mental health into primary health care.
- Digital Mental Health Initiatives provide online upskilling programs for health workers via platforms such as iGOT-Diksha.
- The Tele-MANAS (Tele-Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States) program was launched in 2022 and offers telecounseling and Psychiatric consultation nationwide. It aimed to provide free 24×7 tele mental health services to anyone in need all over India< offering services in 20 Indian languages.
- Budget 2022 digital health service, making COVID-era emergency systems permanent and upgrading mental health institutions.
Union Budget 2026-2027
The Union Budget 2026-2027 shows a transformative shift in India’s Mental Health Policy, placing institutional expansion and regional equity at the centre of public health planning.
- The government will establish a second campus of the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) in Northern India.
- Upgradation of the National Mental Health Institute In Ranci and Tezpur as Regional Apex Institutions
- Establishing Emergency and Trauma Care Centres in every District Hospital Nationwide, which provide affordable and 24/7 access to critical emergency medical services and mental health care for all citizens
- Continues investment in centres of excellence and postgraduate training to address the shortage of mental health professionals.
Read More: NIMHANS 2.0 Gets a Slot in The 2026 Budget
Ground realities of policies Implementation
In India, policies have been revised due to complex challenges:
Uneven state-level execution and service delivery gap
- Some states establish DMHP teams, Mental Health Authorities, and review processes, but others lag.
- Delay and low utilisation of funds at the state level.
- Weak data systems and a lack of real-time monitoring.
- Mental health services mostly focus on urban areas, with few facilities available in rural areas
- Inadequate drug supplies.
Workforce shortage
- Shortage of working professionals and lack of training
- Innovative models involving lay health workers and community volunteers have shown promise, but require training, supervision and support.
Awareness and stigma
- Individuals or groups who do not normalise need to treat common mental disorders as medical conditions
- Mental illness is often attributed to cultural beliefs and superstitious causes, and people are supposed to seek help from faith healers rather than medical professionals.
- Women, marginalised people, and LGBTQ+ people face more stigma, further hindering access to care
Read More: Mental Health in the LGBTQIA+: A Persistent Concern
From Margin to Mainstream: Community models for sustainable mental health
- To bridge the mental health care gap, community-based interventions should be enhanced.
- To give training to primary health workers to identify and manage common mental disorders.
- To get support from families, friends and the workplace to address and treat their mental health issues
- To challenge entrenched cultural norms and raise awareness.
Read More: Workplace Policies and Their Impact on Employee Mental Health
Successful models
The Chandigarh Model is a successful mental health care model, which focuses on community care for schizophrenia, involving home visits, family psychoeducation and vocational rehabilitation. It results in lower relapse rates and cost-effectiveness.
Bangalore Model (NIMHANS) focuses on common mental disorders, special care and cultural adaptation. It shows a 30% higher recovery rate for depression and anxiety.
Atmiyata Model works in Gujarat and Maharashtra. It involves local volunteers to provide counselling, support, and referrals. WHO is recognised as a good practice for community outreach in low-resource settings.
Futuristic Scopes in Policy Making in Mental Health
- Many digital services are available with unprecedented emphasis on digital mental health solutions. Expand Tele-MANAS, mobile app, integration with e-Sanjeevani(video- based remote consultation), digital training platform.
- Increasing 5% of the total health budget and allocating funds for mental health with the central and state health budgets.
- AI-powered screening and diagnosis to detect early signs of mental illness. Chatbots and virtual therapists provide real-time support and cognitive behavioural interventions.
- Expanded community-based intervention to remote and underserved areas. Enabling follow-up and monitoring through digital platforms.
- Promote help-seeking awareness through digital campaigns
- Addressing the workforce shortage and bringing task-shifting models. Foster peer support and living experience.
- Empowering community volunteers through structured training and supervision.
Conclusion
Mental Health policy in India still needs to progress and bring renewed hope. We have been moved from the colonial asylums and custodial care to a rights-based, community-based, and digitally empowered system. Post-pandemic has marked the turning point, compelling policymakers, professionals and society at large to confront the mental health crisis.
The Mental Health Care 2017, NMHP and DMHP, the Digital app like Tele-MANAS, and the Union Budget 2026-2027 will remain refined until they reach all citizens. Bridging the treatment gap, creating awareness, reducing stigma and ensuring every citizen has access to quality mental care is not just policy making but also implementation. Mental health remains A neglected stepchild of human welfare. By embracing community-based care, integrating mental health into the primary care system, and using technology, we uphold the rights and dignity of all. India can build a healthy future not by privilege but by guaranteeing fundamental rights to all.
References +
Dhyani, R., Subudhi, C., & Singh, P. (2022). Mental health infrastructure, legislation, and programme in India. In Psychiatric Social Work: Principles to Practice (pp. 123–142). Springer Nature.
Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (2015–2016). National Mental Health Survey of India, 2015–16: Summary. New Delhi: MoHFW.
Government of India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. (2022). Tele-MANAS: Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States – Rapid Assessment Report. New Delhi: MoHFW.
Mirza, A., & Singh, N. (2019). Mental health policy in India: Seven sets of questions and some answers. Journal of Mental Health Policy and Economics, 22(1), 25–37.
World Health Organisation. (2020). Mental health in South-East Asia: Situation and response. Geneva: WHO.
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