Every year, more Indians talk openly about anxiety, depression, burnout, and emotional well-being. Yet for many, actually booking a therapy appointment still feels impossible. Fear of being labelled "paagal", worries about family judgement, high consultation costs, and uncertainty about what therapy actually involves continue to stop millions from seeking professional help.
Despite growing awareness campaigns and conversations around mental health, therapy remains out of reach for millions of Indians, not just because of cost or limited access, but because of deep-rooted stigma, misconceptions, and cultural beliefs. India continues to have one of the world's largest mental healthcare gaps, with experts estimating that nearly 8 out of 10 people who need mental health treatment do not receive professional care. Experts estimate that nearly 80-85% of people with mental illness in India remain outside the formal healthcare system, while the National Mental Health Survey found that more than 85% of Indians with common mental disorders do not seek or receive treatment.
MedBound Times connected with Psychologist Anveeksha, MA Psychology explains why many Indians still avoid therapy, the social and structural barriers keeping people from seeking help, and what must change to make mental healthcare in India more accessible, affordable, and stigma-free.
Nearly 80-85% of people with mental illness in India do not receive formal treatment.
Mental health conditions affect millions of Indians, yet stigma remains one of the biggest barriers to seeking care.
Early intervention through counselling or therapy can improve long-term emotional well-being and reduce the severity of mental health conditions.
Despite growing awareness, affordability, workforce shortages, and misconceptions continue to limit access to mental healthcare.
"When we discuss the whys and hows of mental health, we need to acknowledge other factors at play including the socio-economic conditions, the social connotations, the patriarchal structure and anything and everything that has an impact on our daily lives," says psychologist Anveeksha.
She believes that the conversation around mental health stigma in India cannot ignore the country's social and cultural realities.
In a culture and a country like ours, therapy still is a very elite term for most of the population.Anveeksha, MA Psychology
This perception contributes to one of the world's largest mental health treatment gaps. While awareness campaigns have increased discussions around mental health awareness in India, many people still lack access to affordable mental healthcare, and even those who can access services often hesitate because of stigma.
India has also expanded access to public mental healthcare through initiatives such as the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP), the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), and Tele-MANAS, a 24×7 government tele-mental health service that provides counselling, referrals, and links to in-person care. However, awareness, affordability, and shortages of trained mental health professionals continue to limit access, particularly in underserved and rural areas.
A systematic review published in the Asian Journal of Psychiatry found that stigma remains one of the strongest barriers to help-seeking behaviour, preventing people from accessing timely mental health treatment despite the availability of effective interventions.
For many Indians, therapy is still associated with severe mental illness rather than emotional well-being or preventive care.
According to Anveeksha, awareness about therapy in India remains limited:
"For a majority of the population, they don't know or understand what therapy is. For them any mental health support is treatment for the 'insane' or 'paagal'. So naturally for them, there is no question of investment, they'll only go to a mental health professional as a last resort when they've tried everything else and nothing has worked out, there would be cases when even then they won't go because first they are not aware and second they won't believe."
These misconceptions discourage people from seeking psychological support, counselling, or psychotherapy early, even when they are experiencing symptoms of anxiety, depression, chronic stress, or burnout.
Research has similarly shown that poor mental health literacy, fear of discrimination, and misconceptions surrounding mental illness continue to fuel therapy stigma in India, delaying treatment and widening the country's mental healthcare gap.
The challenge is not limited to stigma alone. India also faces a shortage of trained mental health professionals, with an estimated psychiatrist density of about 0.75 per 100,000 population, well below the levels seen in many high-income countries. Limited availability of psychiatrists and clinical psychologists, particularly in rural and underserved areas, often results in long waiting times and reduced access to timely care, even for people willing to seek help.
One of the biggest therapy myths is that counselling is only necessary when someone's condition has become unmanageable.
Anveeksha says this belief prevents people from viewing therapy as preventive healthcare:
"When it comes to circles where there is awareness of the existence of therapy, there is still a stigma attached to it. There's a misconception that one can only go to therapy when things are beyond repair. You will often hear people say, 'Uski condition toh iss hadd tak kharab hogayi ki therapy leni padi.' " (Her condition got so bad that she had to take therapy.)
In reality, mental health experts recommend seeking help before emotional distress begins affecting relationships, work, physical health, or daily functioning. Just as people consult doctors for preventive physical healthcare, mental health counselling can help individuals develop coping strategies before problems escalate.
Social expectations often make asking for help even harder.
Anveeksha explained that people are often told to keep their emotional turmoil hidden and deal with it internally. If a person is going through a crisis in such an environment, they would be shamed for asking for help and asked to become tough and brave to fight their own battles. So it becomes nearly impossible to fight the customs and the society and get help.
The fear of "log kya kahenge: what will people say" continues to shape help-seeking behaviour across many communities. Instead of viewing therapy as a normal healthcare service, many families still associate it with weakness or social embarrassment.
The Asian Journal of Psychiatry review supports these findings, concluding that cultural beliefs, social stigma, and fear of discrimination remain major barriers to mental healthcare in India, making community-level awareness and stigma reduction essential.
Cost remains another major obstacle. While awareness has improved, particularly in urban areas, regular therapy sessions remain financially difficult for many individuals and families. Another common misconception is that therapy is an elite luxury rather than an essential healthcare service.
Anveeksha says changing this perception requires improving affordability and access.
"We cannot talk about changing perceptions without addressing the very real issue of affordability and access. For therapy to stop being viewed as an 'elite expense,' we need stronger grassroots infrastructure alongside affordable, subsidised services."
She also says psychologists cannot shoulder the responsibility alone:
We cannot expect only psychologists to bear the burden of making it accessible. We need proper employment and payments for them too.
According to Anveeksha, reducing mental health stigma in India requires change at both the individual and systemic levels.
We need to strip away the clinical, elite, and overly Westernized language around mental health. We need psychoeducation in local languages and everyday spaces that meets people where they are.Anveeksha, MA Psychology
She also believes open conversations are key to breaking the stigma.
"Stigma thrives in secrecy and silence. Real change happens when people see peers, elders, and leaders within their own communities open up about their mental health journeys."
Although mental health awareness in India has grown, awareness alone has not translated into treatment. Millions continue to avoid therapy, counselling, and other forms of mental health support because of stigma, misconceptions, poor mental health literacy, financial barriers, and limited access.
Why do many Indians avoid therapy?
Many Indians avoid therapy because of stigma, poor mental health literacy, cultural beliefs, affordability concerns, and limited access to mental healthcare. Many also mistakenly believe therapy is only for severe mental illness.
Is therapy only for people with mental illness?
No. Therapy can help people manage stress, anxiety, relationship issues, grief, burnout, and other emotional challenges before they become more serious.
When should you consider therapy?
You should consider therapy if emotional distress begins affecting your work, relationships, sleep, or daily life. Seeking help early can prevent symptoms from worsening.
How can India reduce mental health stigma?
Psychologist Anveeksha recommended improving mental health awareness, making therapy more affordable, expanding community mental healthcare, encouraging open conversations about emotional well-being, and strengthening access to trained mental health professionals through sustained investment in mental healthcare services.
References:
1. Kaur, Amanpreet, Sudha Kallakuri, Brandon A. Kohrt, Eva Heim, Petra C. Gronholm, Graham Thornicroft, and Pallab K. Maulik. 2021. "Systematic Review of Interventions to Reduce Mental Health Stigma in India." Asian Journal of Psychiatry 55: 102466. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7116814/?
2. Gaiha, Shivani Mathur, Tatiana Taylor Salisbury, Mirja Koschorke, Usha Raman, and Mark Petticrew. "Stigma Associated with Mental Health Problems among Young People in India: A Systematic Review of Magnitude, Manifestations and Recommendations." BMC Psychiatry 20, no. 1 (2020): 538. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7667785/?
3. Gururaj, G., M. Varghese, V. Benegal, G. N. Rao, K. Pathak, L. K. Singh, R. Y. Mehta, et al. National Mental Health Survey of India, 2015–16: Summary. Bengaluru: National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), NIMHANS Publication No. 128, 2016. https://indianmhs.nimhans.ac.in/phase1/Docs/Summary.pdf?
4. Press Information Bureau, Government of India. 2026. "Steps Taken to Strengthen and Integrate Mental Healthcare Services." March 27, 2026. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2245967&lang=1®=1
5. Suhas, Satish, Apurva Mittal, Narayana Manjunatha, Channaveerachari Naveen Kumar, Suresh Bada Math, and Pratima Murthy. 2026. "India's Tele-MANAS: Evolution, Early Outcomes and a Scalable Blueprint for Digital Public Mental Health." The British Journal of Psychiatry. Published online July 17, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.2026.10733
6. Patel, Vikram, Shekhar Saxena, Crick Lund, Graham Thornicroft, Florence Baingana, Paul Bolton, Dan Chisholm, et al. 2018. "The Lancet Commission on Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development." The Lancet 392 (10157): 1553-1598. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)31612-X