Despite growing awareness, India still faces one of the world’s widest mental health treatment gaps. In your view, what structural or systemic changes are most critical to improve accessibility and continuity of care?
In my opinion, this is the greatest change that India requires since mental healthcare should be considered a mainstream healthcare rather than a parallel system. Our present practice is still disjointed. Patients usually come to us when the symptoms are already complex and becomes a crisis situation. If we introduce mental health screening and counselling into all primary healthcare facilities, we will be able to manage early prevention as opposed to reactive treatment.
The next important action is the establishment of a smooth continuum of care that starts with crisis intervention and recovery in the long term. This entails digital systems, telepsychiatry and structured follow-ups that will see that patients don’t fall through the cracks once discharge. This philosophy was precisely what our C2R+ model Crisis to Recovery and Beyond was created for at Maarga.
Lastly, it is necessary to address stigma particularly on the family level and the community level. Awareness should be transformed into acceptance and empathy. As societies start to see mental health as a component of health and wellness, access naturally increases.
How can India’s healthcare system integrate mental health more effectively into primary and community healthcare, especially in rural and semi-urban settings?
Mental health should be a collective responsibility in my experience. Doctors, nurses, community workers, families and the society should be able to act together in order to achieve the beneficial integration. We need to empower primary care physicians and community health workers with the ability to detect instances of emotional distress, provide simple counselling, and send patients to specialists when necessary.
Technology can bridge many gaps here. Screening tools and tele-consults powered with AI will enable us to access individuals in the rural and semi-urban areas of India, who have no access to psychiatrists.
With the ability to scale such public-private partnerships, India will be able to create a community-based, decentralised, mental health ecosystem that is inclusive and sustainable.
As holistic and complementary therapies gain traction globally, how can healthcare providers ensure these approaches are evidence-based and ethically implemented alongside conventional psychiatric treatment?
Holistic therapies can be deeply healing. Yoga, music, dance, art can add value to the recovery, in adjunct to conventional psychiatric care, therapies and other modalities of treatment.
These treatments are an additive along with other treatment modalities as part of a multidisciplinary treatment. When applied conscientiously with clinical supervision, this may improve outcomes like resiliency in emotions and be associated with long-term health. Our experience has shown that patients respond best when science meets sensitivity, within the same care framework.
What role do you see technology particularly AI, telepsychiatry, and digital therapy platforms playing in transforming early diagnosis and personalised care in mental health?
Technology has been redefining mental healthcare in terms of its understanding and the way it is provided. The concepts of AI allow us to discover patterns, such as behaviour, speech, mood changes, which can be used to predict a disorder, such as depression or anxiety, much earlier than before. Telepsychiatry has eliminated geographical boundaries and now one can access a specialist within minutes regardless of their location.
I personally view technology as a leveller and facilitator. Having the appropriate ratio of human touch and digital intelligence, we will be able to transform mental healthcare to be accessible, affordable and customised to each and every person.
Maarga Mind Care was among the first psychiatric hospitals in India. What were some of the early challenges in setting up such a model, and how has the landscape evolved since then?
When we launched Maarga in 2016, infrastructure was not the main problem, our biggest problem was the mindset. Fear, stigma and isolation were the common association with psychiatric hospitals. Individuals were unwilling to seek assistance or even admit emotional pain. To transform that narrative it was a great matter of patience and perseverance on our part. We put our focus on building a healer environment, not an institution. Since inception, we have stressed on dignity, confidentiality and evidence-based treatment. It was also important to create a multidisciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, therapists, and social workers as they must collaborate in providing comprehensive care to the patients.
Today, I see a profound shift. Mental health is being discussed at home, school and the workplace. We have a long way to go but at least we are moving out of silence and engaging dialogue. I see that as a win.
You’ve moved from practicing obstetrics and gynaecology to leading multi-specialty and mental health institutions. How has this diverse clinical experience shaped your understanding of holistic patient care and wellbeing?
My experience in diverse fields has supported my viewpoint that health is a continuum, the body and the mind are not separate. In obstetrics, I have seen and worked with the emotional aspect of the patient & the family and I have realised the extent to which the mind is a crucial part of the healing journey and overall well-being. This understanding made me realise the need for mental healthcare hospitals.
This perspective has shaped how we built Maarga—it does not matter whether we are working with a new mother struggling with postpartum depression or a young adult struggling with burnout, or an addiction problem – across all age groups from child, adult to geriatric, we work with the person and the family or caregivers. To me, holistic well-being implies empowering individuals toward rediscovering harmony emotionally, physically, and socially. That is what we have as our philosophy, to walk with our patients from crisis to recovery, and beyond- C2R+ !