The Delhi government and the Delhi Police are under pressure from the High Court concerning implementation of the Mental Health Care Act 2017. A two-judge bench comprising Chief Justice D. N. Patel and Justice C. Hari Shankar has sought a response from both bodies within four weeks concerning the legislation and whether its provisions are […]
mental health
Schizophrenia reflects India’s mental health stigma
“The other day when I was watching television I saw an advertisement conveying how people discriminate with people suffering from HIV/AIDS and how they should not do that,” Dr Madhusudan Singh Solanki writes in ETHealthworld.com. “I felt good about that at least there are efforts to reduce the stigma and myths regarding HIV/AIDS but at […]
Mental healthcare relief in Tamil Nadu
Much of the coverage surrounding mental health in India tends to focus on the treatment gap – manifest in shortages of infrastructure and personnel. In Tamil Nadu, however, there is some good news. The state has opened its second mental health hospital. The Theni Medical College and Hospital is now home to an Institute of […]
Low serotonin could lead to constipation as well as depression
Many people living with depression also face bowel difficulties such as constipation. A new study has identified a reason why: low serotonin. The link between the two conditions is serotonin, a neurotransmitter often called the “happy chemical” because of its importance to happiness and wellbeing owing to a range of complex cognitive functions it performs. […]
Mental health: The treatment gap
Mental health disorders affect roughly ten percent of Indians. 56 million Indians suffer from depression alone and 38 million experience anxiety disorders. Despite this, there is an enormous shortage of mental healthcare professionals across the country and much stigma is attached to the condition, dissuading many from coming forward and seeking treatment. “There is a […]
The Modi dyslexia row hints at a much wider stigma
When it comes to dyslexia, there is no shortage of stigma in India. Revealing testimonies from sufferers highlight how often the problem is handled poorly – if it is handled at all. “I felt like the stupidest person in the world growing up,” one sufferer said. “My parents and teachers were terrible to me because […]
India’s seniors are lonely and depressed. How do we address this crisis?
Maya Devi is 85-years-old and living with her daughter in the city of Jammu. But she would not be here for long and soon shift to her younger daughter’s house in Delhi, then soon to her other daughter’s house. This is an arrangement worked among her daughters after her son’s death when her daughter-in-law asked […]
World Mental Health Day: How India is dealing with its silent crisis
Around 150 million Indians are in need of mental healthcare. This is according to government data, which highlighted the significance mental disorders among the population at 10.6 percent. Depression alone affects 56 million people and anxiety disorders affecting 38 million. When experts convened for the third High-Level United Nations Meeting on Noncommunicable Diseases (NCDs) last […]
Depression takes its toll in Mumbai – and in India
Mental health is one of India’s most significant public health challenges. 13.7 percent of Indians suffering from some form of mental health disorder. In Mumbai, the scourge of poor mental health is particularly felt among those aged between twenty and thirty according to recent data. Depression affects forty percent of people in this age bracket, a survey […]
The depression epidemic among India’s seniors
India’s elderly population is projected to reach more than 340 million by 2050. Could that result in a new mental health epidemic? New data reveals that 21.9 percent of India’s elderly suffer from depression. This is a much higher rate than the global average. Fifteen percent of the world’s elderly population suffer from a mental […]