Abstract

Background: Mental health disorders represent a major public-health challenge in India, affecting functioning, quality of life, families and health systems. Despite important policy developments, access to evidence-based care remains uneven. Objective: This narrative review synthesizes epidemiological evidence on mental morbidity in India, examines major determinants and vulnerable groups, describes treatment gaps and health-system barriers, and discusses emerging community, primary-care and digital strategies. Methods: Published epidemiological studies, systematic reviews, national survey findings and policy-related evidence were reviewed with emphasis on Indian data and recent syntheses. Results: The National Mental Health Survey reported a weighted lifetime prevalence of any mental morbidity of 13.67% and current prevalence of 10.56%, with an overall treatment gap of 84.5%. A later meta-analysis of 79 Indian studies estimated pooled prevalence of depression at 12.4%, alcohol-use disorder at 21.5%, and anxiety disorders at 11.6%. Evidence indicates substantial heterogeneity by age, setting and measurement approach. Stigma, low mental-health literacy, workforce shortages, affordability, geographical inequity and fragmented referral pathways continue to limit care. Digital initiatives, task-sharing, community-based services and primary-care integration offer opportunities to reduce these gaps. Conclusion: India requires sustained epidemiological surveillance, stronger community and primary-care mental-health services, expansion of the specialist and non-specialist workforce, suicide-prevention systems, and equitable digital mental-health access. Mental health promotion should be integrated across the life course and linked to social determinants of health.

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