India mental health: The Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) has raised fresh concerns over India’s mental health treatment gap, saying nearly 80–85% of people living with psychiatric disorders are not getting timely or appropriate care.
The warning was flagged at the curtain-raiser for ANCIPS 2026, the IPS’s 77th annual national conference, scheduled to be held January 28–31 at Yashobhoomi in Delhi.
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Speakers at the event said the gap persists despite better awareness and advances in treatment, with many patients remaining outside the formal health system for months, or even years, after symptoms begin. They pointed to findings from the National Mental Health Survey indicating that over 85% of people with common mental disorders do not seek or receive treatment, describing India as one of the countries with the widest treatment gaps globally.
In the wider international picture, experts noted that a large share of people with mental illness do not receive care from trained professionals, with access particularly limited in low-income settings.
IPS leaders underlined that mental illnesses are among the most treatable health conditions when identified early and managed properly, but stigma and delays continue to block care. They highlighted barriers such as fear of being labelled or judged, low recognition of early symptoms, and inadequate integration of mental health services into primary healthcare. The shortage of trained mental health professionals was also cited as a major structural challenge, especially given the scale of need.
Experts warned that delayed treatment often worsens outcomes, increasing disability, family distress, productivity loss, and the risk of self-harm and suicide. They called for mental health to be treated with the same urgency as physical health and urged stronger community-based services, better training for primary care doctors, and more efficient referral systems to narrow the gap.
The IPS also drew attention to the heavy burden among vulnerable groups, saying a large proportion of children and adolescents with diagnosable mental disorders go untreated in some regions, with knock-on effects on education and long-term wellbeing. Older adults also remain widely untreated due to neglect, isolation, low awareness, or the mistaken belief that psychological symptoms are simply part of ageing.
While acknowledging recent steps such as the Tele-MANAS helpline and expansion of the District Mental Health Programme, IPS representatives said these initiatives must be scaled up significantly. They reiterated that mental health should be treated as a core part of overall health, requiring comparable priority, investment and sustained public awareness to improve access, affordability and acceptance of care.
