INFOGRAPHIC
MINDFUL INVESTMENTS : PHILANTHROPY FOR MENTAL HEALTH IN INDIA
The Centre for Asian Philanthropy India ( CAPI ) launched its report , Mindful Investments : Philanthropy for Mental Health in India . This in-depth study underscores the critical funding gaps within India ' s mental health sector and is based on perspectives from 43 distinguished donors , nonprofit leaders and mental health experts across 31 organisations . It also suggests recommendations and spotlights opportunities for philanthropy , to make a meaningful contribution towards addressing India ' s mental health needs .
India ' s mental health crisis is significant and underfunded . The National Mental Health Survey of India , 2015 – 16 ( NMHS ) estimated the treatment gap for all mental illnesses at between 70 – 92 %. This massive gap in treatment is due to the acute shortage of mental health professionals , compounded by stigma , limited awareness and the prohibitive cost of treatment . The WHO estimates losses to the Indian economy at US $ 1.03 trillion between 2012 and 2030 , due to mental illnesses . This underscores the scale of the mental health crisis in India and its adverse implications for developmental goals .
However , public spending in India has stagnated at just around 1 %, or so , of the overall health budget over the last five years and is largely allocated toward institutional care . The sheer scale of the challenge means philanthropic and private sector resources have a vital role to play in bridging access gaps .
The silver lining , however , is the increased donor action in the last decade , particularly post-COVID-19 . Already , philanthropy ' s contribution to the Indian mental health care domain has resulted in the establishment of a range of interventions influenced by the complexity and continuum of care needed .
Mr Jamshyd Godrej , philanthropist and CAPI trustee , said : " The evidence is growing around how mental health is not only a health issue and is intertwined with many aspects of development , be it poverty , climate change or gender equality . CAPI ' s report comes at the right time and , I hope , will guide and encourage many more donors in India to support mental health initiatives in a bigger way ."
The report identifies three approaches presently adopted by Indian donors who fund mental health initiatives :
1 . Treatment or care for mental illnesses at the institutional level : Many donors strategically support facilities , such as psychiatric hospitals , clinics and counselling centres or telephonic / Whatsappbased or online helplines . This approach emphasises treatment through medical professionals at specialised care centres .
2 . Mental health care at a community level : Adopted by fewer donors , these programmes deliver mental health care in localised settings – at the village / district level – through lay counsellors from within the community .
3 . Scientific research , knowledge and evidence-building : Donors have made significant grants to support studies at reputable institutions , such as the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences . These studies focus on data collection among an Indian sample population to gather contextualised and nuanced insights .
Donor approaches continue to evolve to best suit their goals : prevention and mitigation of stigma ; immediate alleviation of suffering ; a more highrisk view of backing bets in science and medicine that might pay off in the long term ; or a combination of these . Going forward , the report recommends key areas where philanthropic funding is needed .
Philanthropy can support overlooked and underfunded programmes , such as those focusing on prevention and rehabilitation through disseminating educational materials , guidance on self-care programmes , anti-stigma campaigns , early screening of target populations , etc .
Community models of mental health present as low-cost , effective options
20 www . intelligenthealth . tech