The George Institute conducts study indicating the impact of India’s rural mental health programme

The George Institute for Global Health, New Delhi, conducted a study indicating that a blend of digital healthcare and community-based campaigns can significantly reduce the risk of depression, anxiety, and self-harm in rural India. This programme also led to a shift in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour related to mental health, helping to dismantle the stigma surrounding mental health issues.

Mental health remains a critical global challenge, with nearly 150 million people in India needing treatment, yet only a fraction receiving adequate care. The shortage of mental health professionals in India is particularly acute, especially in rural areas where trained health workers are scarce. India’s Systematic Medical Appraisal, Referral and Treatment (SMART) Mental Health Program was developed to address this gap by training village health workers in basic mental health care and using innovative methods of service delivery.

The study screened almost 170,000 adults across West Godavari, Faridabad and Palwal districts of Andhra Pradesh and Haryana for depression. Of them, 9,900 were part of the trial over 12 months and implemented two key strategies: a community campaign to reduce mental health stigma and a digital healthcare initiative for those at high risk of mental disorders. The results indicated:

• Reduction in depression risk: There was a reduction in depression risk among those involved in the intervention over one year.
• Higher cure rates: The cure rate, measured by remission, was significantly higher in the intervention group, with 75 per cent achieving full recovery, compared to just 50 per cent in the control group.
• Improved knowledge and attitudes: There was a marked increase in knowledge and attitudes related to mental health, accompanied by a notable decrease in the stigma associated with seeking help. While behavioural changes related to mental health were not significant at the one-year mark, the study did observe positive effects as early as three months into the programme.

Digital health solutions can be an asset to India’s National Mental Health Program. This finding supports the WHO and Lancet Commission’s call for new strategies to reduce the impact of mental disorders worldwide. These strategies can work in low- and middle-income countries and impoverished areas of high-income countries, with some adjustments for local conditions.