Stigma, lack of awareness driving high mental health treatment gap in India

Nearly 8085 per cent of individuals suffering from psychiatric disorders do not receive timely or appropriate care due to stigma and lack of awareness said mental experts here on January 3Speaking at the curtain raiser Event of the 77th Annual National Conference of the Indian Psychiatric Society ANCIPS 2026 Delhi the experts warned that despite advances in treatment and increasing awareness the majority of people with mental illness continue to remain outside the formal healthcare systemAddressing the gathering they emphasised that mental illnesses are among the most treatable health conditions if identified early and managed appropriatelyldquoMental health disorders are highly treatable yet the majority of patients in India continue to suffer in silence The fact that over 80 per cent of people do not receive timely psychiatric care reflects deeprooted stigma lack of awareness and inadequate integration of mental health services into primary healthcarerdquo said Dr Savita Malhotra President of the Indian Psychiatric SocietyldquoThis is not just a medical concern it is a social economic and developmental issue that demands urgent national attentionrdquo she addedData from the National Mental Health Survey NMHS clearly indicate that India faces one of the widest treatment gaps in the world with over 85 per cent of people suffering from common mental disorders not seeking or receiving treatmentIn a global context more than 70 per cent of individuals with mental illness do not receive care from trained healthcare professionals and in many lowincome countries fewer than 10 per cent of those in need actually access necessary treatmentIndia with its vast population and limited mental health infrastructure remains particularly vulnerable to this challengeldquoWhen psychiatric care is delayed the illness often becomes more severe and chronic leading to greater disability family distress loss of productivity and a significantly increased risk of selfharm and suicide Mental health must be addressed with the same urgency and seriousness as physical healthrdquo said Dr Nimesh G Desai former Director of the Institute of Human Behaviour ampamp Allied Sciences IHBASldquoStrengthening communitybased services training primary care doctors and improving referral systems are essential steps to bridge this unacceptable treatment gaprdquo he addedDelayed treatment has farreaching consequences not only for individuals and families but also for society and the economy Untreated mental illness contributes to increased morbidity and mortality higher rates of substance use disorders unemployment family breakdown and suicideIndia already accounts for a significant proportion of global suicide deaths making early identification and timely psychiatric intervention a critical public health priorityWhile government initiatives such as the TeleMANAS national mental health helpline expansion of the District Mental Health Programme and greater policy focus on mental health are positive steps the experts stressed that these efforts must be scaled up substantially to meet the growing demandThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever