Mental Illness in India: Present Status, Expectations and Recommendations, By Aarti Pandit and C. Ravindranath | June 2024

Whereas persons with physical disorders and disabilities evoke sympathy and compassion, persons with mental illness attract derision and ridicule. This is a sad but true state of current social thought. As a result, while the physically disabled get some attention and help, the mentally ill are usually marginalized and ignored. If the trend of social thought is to change, the lead must be taken by the governing authorities, and measures to improve the lot of the mentally ill must begin at the policy level. This paper attempts to present not only a picture of the present status of persons with mental illness but also to analyze their needs, requirements and expectations, and finally come up with recommendations to bridge the gap between demand and supply.
It is high time the government thought of an integrated, holistic approach to mental health and came up with structured intervention and treatment modalities. The outlay for health needs to be re-looked at and the entire system reviewed and revamped, especially because of the burgeoning number of persons with mental health issues.
The authors have relied not only on documented information but have also interviewed several stakeholders to enhance the authenticity of this presentation.