Professor and Head, Department of Psychiatry; President Elect, WASP

Rural Mental Health Care in India: An Opportunity for Early Intervention Services
Chair: Rakesh K Chadda1
Speakers: Rajiv Gupta2, Deepak Kumar3, Siddharth Arya4, Vinay Kumar5, Ritwik Gupta6 – On behalf of the Society of Rural Mental Health, India

Abstract
Rural populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, have distinct socio-environmental and cultural contexts that shape health beliefs and help-seeking behaviors. Compared to urban areas, rural regions consistently report higher unmet needs for mental health care. This treatment gap is driven by multiple factors: low investment in mental health services, concentration of specialists in cities, entrenched stigma and discrimination, limited mental health literacy, and reliance on cultural or supernatural explanations of illness. Shifting family values and weakening traditional support systems have further exacerbated psychological vulnerabilities.
In India, where majority of people live in rural areas, making an effective framework for effective mental health delivery is a pressing public health priority. While the Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA), 2017 guarantees the right to accessible and affordable mental health care, its implementation must be grounded in rural realities, including infrastructural constraints and cultural barriers.
Promising solutions include digital interventions such as telepsychiatry and mobile-based platforms, which can overcome geographic barriers if adapted to local languages and contexts. Task-shifting approaches, where frontline health workers are trained to deliver basic psychosocial support, can also extend care to underserved populations. Moreover, integrating preventive psychiatry and early interventions within existing rural public health programs (maternal and child health, schools, and chronic disease services) can reduce long-term mental health burden. Addressing rural mental health inequities in India requires coordinated policies, investment in human resources, culturally sensitive care, and scalable innovations.
Reference:
Mathur R, Chawla N, Chadda RK. Mental health services in rural India: a big challenge still to be met. BJPsych Int. 2024 Nov;21(4):93-96.

Proposed speakers and subtopics
Chair
Rakesh K Chadda
Professor & Head, Department of Psychiatry,
Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Faridabad 121002, India
President Elect, World Association of Social Psychiatry
Email: drrakeshchadda@gmail.com
Rural Mental Health care: Review of models across the settings
Rajiv Gupta
Director cum-CEO, Institute of Mental Health Pt. B.D.S University of Health Sciences, Rohtak 124001, India
Email: rajivguptain2003@yahoo.co.in

Embedding early intervention services into rural mental health care: Experiences from the District Mental Health Program
Deepak Kumar
Professor and Head, Deptt of Psychiatry and Medical Superintendent
Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, Delhi 110095, India
Email: srivastav.deep@gmail.com

Innovative approaches for rural mental health care in India
Sidharth Arya
Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Institute of Mental Health, Pt. B.D.S University of Health Sciences, Rohtak India
Email: draryasid3188@gmail.com

Rural Mental Health in India: Expectations and challenges
Vinay Kumar
Professor of Clinical Psychology
Institute of Mental Health, Pt. B.D.S University of Health Sciences, Rohtak India
Email: draryasid3188@gmail.com

A Trainee’s Perspective from the Rural Mental Health Clinics

Ritvik Gupta
Senior Resident in Psychiatry
Institute of Mental Health, Pt. B.D.S University of Health Sciences, Rohtak 124001 India
Email: ritvik17@gmail.com

Rakesh K Chadda