Reducing the Stigma of Therapy and Mental Health: An Indian Perspective

Abstract

Reducing public stigma has been the aim of India’s mental health policy since April 2017, when India passed the Mental Health Act, which focused on protecting the rights to equality and non-discrimination of people with mental illness. Stigma is a social injustice that discredits many people with serious mental illness, terribly harming them in the process. Six-years after the government acknowledged and recognized the importance of mental health, the stigma enveloping mental health still has its roots in our society.