Research and official guidance
The surveys, studies, laws and guidelines behind what we publish about mental health in India. Each link opens the original source, so you can read it yourself.
Last updated 2 November 2026
- National Mental Health Survey of India, 2015-16: Summary
NIMHANS and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. About 10.6% of adults had a mental disorder at the time of the survey, and about 13.7% at some point in their lives, with large treatment gaps. - The burden of mental disorders across the states of India: the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2017
The Lancet Psychiatry, 2020. A state-by-state study of how mental disorders affect health across India. - Teletherapy versus in-person psychotherapy for depression: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
PubMed. A review of randomised trials comparing video therapy with in-person therapy for depression. - Telemedicine Practice Guidelines, 2020
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with NITI Aayog. The rules for online consultations by registered doctors in India. - The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017
Government of India. The law that protects the rights of people with mental illness in India. - WHO India: Depression
World Health Organization. WHO facts on depression, its causes and its treatment.
Related: articles and helplines, patient guides, self-tests.