How is India tackling mental health crisis? | Explained

The story so far: Last month, the Economic Survey flagged the alarming rise of digital addiction and screen-related mental health problems, particularly among children and adolescents. On February 1, the Budget announced measures to strengthen mental health infrastructure. Key highlights include the proposed establishment of a second National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in north India and the upgrading of premier institutions in Ranchi and Tezpur to improve regional access.

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What is India’s mental health burden?

According to experts, India is facing a mental health emergency. It accounts for nearly one-third of the world’s suicides, depression and addiction cases. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among Indians aged 15-29, data from the National Crime Records Bureau and the Sample Registration System under the Ministry of Home Affairs show.

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According to the WHO, between 2012 and 2030, the economic loss due to mental health conditions in India is estimated to be $1.03 trillion. Around 70% to 92% of people with mental disorders do not receive proper treatment due to lack of awareness, stigma, and shortage of professionals. According to the Indian Journal of Psychiatry, India has 0.75 psychiatrists per 1,00,000 people, whereas the WHO recommends at least three per 1,00,000.

While health spending may have increased since FY2014-15, specific allocations for mental health services have historically been small, around 1% of the total health budget.

Does India have enough hospitals?

To cater to the growing need for quality mental health services, the Central government has integrated mental health services in Ayushman Bharat calling them Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs). Under Ayushman Bharat, the government has upgraded more than 1.73 lakh sub-health centres and primary health centres to Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Also, mental health services have been added to the package of services under comprehensive primary health care provided at these centres. Over the past two years, the government has also expanded its manpower base, sanctioning over 20 centres of excellence to train more postgraduate students in mental health and provide advanced treatment. In all, 47 PG departments on mental health have been established.

Moreover, Tele MANAS (Tele Mental Health Assistance and Networking Across States) is a 24×7, free initiative in India providing mental health support via toll-free helplines 14416 or 1-800-891-4416. Launched on October 10, 2022, it features 53 operational cells across 36 States/UTs, supported by 23 specialised mentoring institutes.

Where is the shortfall?

Over the past five years, India’s mental health allocation has increased from ₹683 crore in 2020-21 to about ₹1,898 crore in 2024-25. While this rise is often cited as progress, it remains shockingly low in context, says Neha Kirpal, co-founder of Amaha and founding cohort member of the India Mental Health Alliance (IMHA), a network of stakeholders working on mental health issues. She adds that the budget allocation is less than 2% of the total health budget, which itself accounts for only around 2% of the national GDP. This underinvestment is stark when weighed against impact.

Explaining why targeted allocation to grassroots mental health programmes is a must, she notes that even in this Budget a significant share of allocations continues to flow toward tertiary institutions such as NIMHANS and new centres of excellence. “This alone cannot mainstream mental healthcare in a country of India’s scale,” she explains. The other issue is about the utilisation of funds. Experts point out that funds allocated may be low, but even these are not completely utilised at the national level. Health experts argue that for funds to be better utilised, India’s budgetary allocations for mental health must support community-based, early-intervention models.

What is the way ahead?

The need of the hour is affordable access, continuity of care, and timely treatment, which remain elusive, leading to preventable loss of life and years lived with disability. “Our focus remains on specialist-led, tertiary care, which takes a curative rather than preventive approach. Our response capacity is severely limited. There is a huge shortage of trained mental health professionals to deal with mental illness. This has led to a 95% gap in access to mental health care,” says Ms. Kirpal.

Meanwhile, the Health Ministry says it is laying emphasis on a “whole-of-community” approach, integrating mental well-being into school curricula, and strengthening workplace policies to address stress and burnout.