Community mental health in India: A vision beckoning fulfillment?

Abstract

More than 20 million persons in India need some kind of mental health services. The divide between the demand and the resources available is huge, leaving major parts of the country totally devoid of any mental health services. During the last few decades, there has been a growing interest in undertaking community mental health initiatives in India; nonetheless, such initiatives have been largely isolated efforts. This article presents a general overview of India's mental health scene and discusses the many issues related to community care in the Indian context. It then describes the experience of the Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) in implementing community mental health programs based upon the Community-Based Rehabilitation Model in both rural and urban settings.