Mental health remains a sensitive topic, and people often hesitate to talk about it. However, modern lifestyles and loneliness are significantly affecting mental health. In India, mental health problems are particularly severe.

Around 150 million people in India need treatment for mental health issues, but very few receive it. In rural areas, 45% of people struggle with mental health concerns. The main reason is the lack of mental health experts in these areas, which means many people do not get timely treatment. Researchers have shown that digital health services and community-based campaigns can help reduce depression, anxiety, and self-harm risks in rural India.

Professor Pallab Maulik, Research Director at the George Institute India, stated that their research is a significant milestone in mental health care. He mentioned that this study is the largest of its kind globally and has shown a notable reduction in the risk of depression over the past year. The study involved 9,900 people from Western Godavari in Andhra Pradesh and Faridabad and Palwal districts in Haryana. Researchers from the George Institute for Global Health trained rural health workers under a mental health program for medical assessments, referrals, and treatment.

The team worked in villages for 12 months focusing on two main areas. First, they worked on community campaigns to alleviate mental stress. Second, they used digital healthcare initiatives to help people with severe mental stress. Findings published in the JAMA Psychiatry journal revealed a significant reduction in depression risk over the year.

The new findings support the World Health Organization and the Lancet Commission’s call for new strategies to reduce the impact of mental disorders worldwide. These strategies could be adapted to work in both low- and middle-income countries as well as impoverished areas in high-income countries.