“We still struggle to reach remote areas and secure funding,” says Mpower’s Neerja Birla of the difficulties in providing mental healthcare in India

Neerja Birla, a University of Derby BSc in Psychology graduate, firmly believes in the Japanese aesthetic principle of wabi-sabi, which encourages people to see the beauty in change and imperfection.

Despite the fact that India has experienced a steady rise in mental health problems as a result of a number of reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Neerja Birla, the founder and chairperson of the Aditya Birla Education Trust (ABET), believes that the country has lagged behind in implementing the necessary mental health solutions. Mpower, a social enterprise operating under the auspices of ABET, aims to reduce stigma, raise awareness, and offer those in need comprehensive mental health care. 

Neerja Birla, a University of Derby BSc in Psychology graduate, firmly believes in the Japanese aesthetic principle of wabi-sabi, which encourages people to see the beauty in change and imperfection. Since the beginning of Mpower seven years ago, Birla has worked to use its “intervention services” to have a good impact on individuals.

We have positively impacted over 20 million lives through clinical interventions, counseling, and other initiatives, working with diverse groups including Indian paramilitary forces, government institutions, law enforcement officials, frontline health workers, farmers, LGBTQIA+, doctors, community health workers, teachers, and students,” said Neerja Birla

“Stigma, limited awareness, and inadequate infrastructure, especially in rural areas are some of the challenges I have faced as a mental health advocate. We still struggle to reach remote areas and secure funding from corporates and private donors,” said Birla

Although the amount alone may seem overwhelming, the task at hand is extremely difficult. Birla acknowledged that she had encountered her fair share of difficulties in advocating for mental health. She cited one psychiatrist for every 343,000 people as an example of a lopsided ratio of persons to people. The nation is in need of more psychologists and mental social workers, she continued.

Mpower’s initiative to assert the importance of mental health across the country is done through various awareness campaigns, seminars, and partnerships with the government and NGOs, apart from their intervention services. 

Neerja Birla said that mental health concerns are widespread in both rural and urban areas, but each region faces its own set of distinct challenges. In rural areas there is limited awareness and high stigma, which hinders individuals from seeking help, compounded by the lack of mental health services, trained professionals, and basic medical resources. Urban areas, on the other hand, have better mental health services but, here too, stigma and lack of awareness pose different challenges. Moreover, affordable mental health services are hard to come by in urban areas.