A combination of individual and

environmental factors like

genetics, childhood experiences,
trauma, injury, disease, substance
dependence, stress, loss of
resources and inability to cope
with it could lead to

Sir Ratan Tata Trust & Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust are
amongst the oldest philanthropic foundations in
India. The Trusts have collaborated with Non-Profit
Organizations on the issue of Mental Health for over
a decade. The need for a nationwide action on
Mental Health was realized through experience.
Therefore, MHI was launched after consulting
several contributors. MHI endeavours to improve
India's Mental Health scenario through concerted
action by diverse stakeholders.

development of mental illness.

A glimpse into Neha's life

Neha hails from a family of scientists in Mysore. She got married after completing her
education in engineering. She started showing signs of mental illness after the birth
of her son. Her family abandoned her and the child due to her mental condition.
Neha began to lead a reclusive life and showed little concern about the welfare of her
child. A neighbour recognized her condition and facilitated her admission into an
NGO. Neha was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was put on antipsychotic drugs.
With the love, support and care showered in the centre, she recovered and returned
to her confident self.
During the course of her treatment, her son was transferred to another NGO, which
provided food, shelter and education. He has now grown into a responsible young
man and is currently pursuing engineering. At present, Neha teaches computers to
other inmates and earns an independent living.
She wishes to reunite with her son and yearns for a house of their own. Both mother
and son now look forward to a life of promise and happiness. Neha's story is truly
inspiring but unfortunately, not everyone with mental illness has a similar story. This
could be attributed to stigma and discrimination towards people with mental illness
stemming from ignorance about mental health amongst the public.

Bombay House, Homi Mody Street, Fort, Mumbai 400 001

Tel. : 022-6665 8282 | Fax : 022-6665 8013
Web : www.srtt.org | www.mentalhealthinitiative.in

www.riteverses.com

The sketches are courtesy Mr. V. G. Venugopal and have been taken from the book titled "Hidden in Full View" authored by Mr. Ronojoy Sen.

Sir Ratan Tata Trust & Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust

Mental Health
Initiative (MHI)

The Mental Health Scenario in India

Our Primary Focus

?
Poor access to Mental Health care in rural areas

?
Homeless Persons (especially women) with Mental Illness

?
Poor awareness about Mental Health

?
General population in under-served areas of India

?
Stigma and discrimination towards people with Mental Illness

We envision an increase in
Mental Disorders are

1 in 4 families

?
Access to quality Mental Health services

4 of the 10

has at least 1 member with a

?
Awareness about Mental Health

Mental Disorder (WHO, 2004)

?
Number of trained Mental Health service providers

leading causes of

?
Financial investment in Mental Health

disability (WHO, 2004)

?
Inclusion of voice of caregivers and users in Mental Health related

policy making
15

?
Research and documentation of interventions on Mental Health

in the country
In India, an estimated

49

150,000 deaths

The age group of

suicides (NIMHANS, 2011)

15 49 years

occur every year due to

is the most affected by

Mental Disorders, except
those disorders specific
to pediatric and geriatric
age groups (WHO, 2010-11)

Our Action List

To increase stakeholders for Mental Health action
?
through informed advocacy
?
To build adequate resources for Mental Health

action in collaboration with the government

?
To provide a platform for diverse

stakeholders (such as non-profit

organizations, users, care givers,
mental health professionals, media,
government, researchers and individuals)
to work together for developing better
strategies to deal with emerging Mental
Health issues in India
?
To encourage action research projects to produce

evidence about existing interventions

?
To increase knowledge on Mental Health and reduce

inhibition in accessing Mental Health Services

?
To provide better access to quality Mental Health services

in under-served areas