Mental Health Makeover: MHA 2017 and India’s Global Ambitions

In 2017, India stood at a crossroads as a new legislation was being introduced to improve and redefine the Mental Health Care provided in India.

In retrospect - 7 years since the Mental Healthcare Act 2017 was introduced - it deserves another round of applause due to the paradigm shift that this legislature has brought upon the care and treatment of persons with mental illnesses in India.

Here are some of it’s key breakthroughs:

1. The right to access mental health care, regardless of your income, gender, sexual orientation or place of living.
2. Advanced patient’s rights in choosing/refusing the mental health practitioners and nominating representatives who can act on behalf of patients.
3. Compelling State and Central govts to provide mental health facilities in every district.
4. Mandating insurance providers to provide mental health insurance at par with physical illnesses.
5. Decriminalising suicide attempts.
6. Prohibiting electro-convulsive therapy on minors.

Clearly, providing adequate mental health facilities to 1.2 billion people is a non-trivial endeavor.

As such, the state will need to create Public-Private-Partnerships to drastically train more psychiatrists & psychologists to expand it’s reach of mental health services to every district in India.

 📢 Now here’s another radical point-of-view.

How can India compete at a global level and offer world class mental health services if our curriculum, standards of care and community networks are currently insufficient in supporting our workforce ?

As India rises through the ranks to achieve economic stability and displays a rapidly growing number of middle income families - will we now see fewer stigmas associated with seeking mental care ?

Would this also mean that more people would willingly pay more for better outcomes in their mental health journey and how will this play out in real life ?

Take for instance that - on average, a psychiatrist in India sees 30 patients daily - this means they are simply limited to spending 15 mins per patient - to accurately understand their symptoms, suggest treatment options and present them with an actionable plan - these are skills that our psychiatrists have partly out of necessity and honed them over the years to deliver care.

In the NHS however, having worked closely with Mental Health Trusts - I have seen a noteworthy difference. Psychiatrists are encouraged to slowly peel back layers of complex cases over multiple sessions - allowing the patients to participate holistically in the self realization of their own crisis.

📈I stand resolutely with my belief that a nation cannot grow in a silo.

This paucity within mental health professionals will continue on for a few more decades, until then we can encourage our MBBS colleges to increase the number of hours spent in mental health care during under grad training/internship.

I would emphasize that academic milestones such as MRCPsych will allow Indian psychiatrists to lend their voice to global mental health discussions.

Previously, psychiatry relied heavily on Western frameworks, which often didn't account for the cultural nuances of Indian patients.

Take, for example, the term "neurasthenia." This term was used historically to describe a range of symptoms—fatigue, headache, and irritability—but it didn't align with the cultural realities of Indian patients.

Indian psychiatrists have begun to challenge such labels, advocating for more precise language that reflects local experiences. It’s a bit like calling a storm "windy" instead of describing it as a cyclone—it’s about getting to the heart of the matter, with respect and clarity.

👩🏻‍⚕️So how can you prepare for a global career in Psychiatry?

For a budding psychiatrist - spending 3 years in India to complete their post graduation degree such as DNB/MD while simultaneously completing MRCPsych has proven to be an efficient way of growing within their career whilst optimizing their time. Then spending the next 6 years working in the NHS - learning how mental is practiced in the UK, qualifying for Section 12 approval via CESR, documenting your progress and understanding how community networks are built locally to provide additional care - can elevate their own ability to treat complex cases.

Any psychiatrist that returns back to India with MRCPsych, CESR/CCT, 6+ years of NHS experience will prove to be a valuable asset in transforming local communities and offering the same level of training to their junior doctors domestically.

With the right training and the global perspective, Indian psychiatrists can turn local mental health challenges into a phenomenal success story—grounded in cultural understanding, but elevated with international tools.

At Indigo, we’re here to help you craft that journey, ensuring your path as a psychiatrist not only transforms your career, but also reshapes the future of mental health care in India.

Contact Details:

Contact Priyen Potnis, Managing Director of International Recruitment, to learn how Indigo can support your recruitment needs or help shape your medical career.

Email: Priyen@indigohealthcare.co.uk
Mobile number: +91 887 9252151

LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyenpotnis/