The 2005 report of the National Commission on Macroeconomics and Health, India recognised the huge burden of mental illness in the country and the inadequacy of the existing system to address the problem. According to the report, nearly 65—70 million people in India have some kind of mental illness, and this excludes common mental disorders. The commission also estimated that there was a 70—80% treatment gap for mental disorders.

Since 2010, AAMH has been partnering with the Indian Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and its public health institutes to strengthen the nation’s community mental health system.

Key Partners

  • Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
  • National Institute of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
  • Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College, Chandigarh
  • Mental Health Hospital, Gujarat.
  • District Mental Health Program, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
  • Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Allied Sciences, Ranchi, Jharkhand
  • Australia India Institute, University of Melbourne

India programs

AAMH and India have collaborated on a variety of projects, including:

  • Key partners under a 3 year “Partnering public health to build community mental health in India” project, supported by the Public Sector Linkages Program, AusAID.
  • Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and AAMH co-hosted regional mental health conference in New Delhi under the Asia Pacific Community Mental Health Development Project.
  • Australian Leadership Awards Fellowship (ALAF) supported mental health specialist training exchange from National Institute of Health and Family welfare, facilitated through the POST program.
  • Participation in the Asia Pacific Community Mental Health Development Project (APCMHDP): Attended conferences held in New Delhi (2011), Melbourne (2011), and Bali (2012).
  • Published key examples of Indian community mental health in the APCMHDP publications (2008 and 2011).

Mental health profile of India

Up to date information about the mental health situation in India is available here.

Further information on the context for Indian health is available at the Southeast Asian Regional Office of the WHO.