Manoyatri

mental health in india

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 7.2% of the total population in India suffers from critical mental illness and 43% have experienced bouts of mental illness. Despite this, there is alarming ignorance around mental wellbeing. Most mental health patients are neglected or ignored, not receiving proper treatment and are often disowned by their families and stigmatised by society.

With limited specialized healthcare support, it is estimated there are currently 200 million people awaiting treatment, which is expensive and out of reach to many of them, especially those from lower economic backgrounds. Due the COVID 19 pandemic, the few organizations who do work with mentally-ill patients are full to capacity and having to turn patients away with many now being found living on the streets.

How we help

Our mission is to provide a life free of stress, cruelty and instability while helping those suffering from mental illness to gain financial independence, and develop ‘Manoyatri’ as a movement to create a mentally healthy society. Working in collaboration with Anamprem, Karandikar Hospital, Spandan Psychological Counseling Center and Shraddha Mental Health Foundation, a unique organization which aims to rehabilitate and reunite patients with their families, which it has successfully done with around 10,000 patients to date.

The center provides counseling, treatment, de-addiction and rehabilitation to patients as well as awareness programs, support groups and Rational Emotional Behavioral Therapy (REBT) workshops. We also aim to establish Ahmednagar Schizophrenic Association (ASA) to include support groups, treatments and support to Schizophrenia patients and their families.

Who we help

Manoyatri provides shelter and treatment to all, especially those that others turn away and are left to roam the streets, with a view to reuniting them with their families or providing them with support to live independently. It also supports new and existing beneficiaries of our other projects, including victims of flesh trade and their children, people living with HIV/AIDS and slum dwellers, many of whom have addictions that we must address before we can provide our support. Most have also experienced a major trauma that needs to be addressed through counselling otherwise it will have a lasting effect on their lives leading to relationship issues, exploitation, crime, prostitution and more. The center is also there to support our staff, many of whom work in stressful situations and witness traumatic events, for both work and personal issues.