Mental illnesses are conditions that affect our thinking, perception or emotional response to events. They do not manifest similarly in all individuals and can develop as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia among others. While the precise biology of these disorders is unknown, scientists believe that genetics, environmental causes and psychosocial stress have a role to play.
Mental illnesses are usually treatable but require proper care and therapy. However, social stigma and a lack of understanding has affected the way individuals with mental illnesses seek professional and medical help. Additionally, previous laws did not provide adequate support for patient rights.
With these issues in mind, the Indian parliament passed the Mental Health Care Act in 2017 to replace the older Mental Health Act of 1987. This law was recently notified on 29th May 2018 and covers crucial issues of patient rights, refusal of treatment and advanced directives.
We spoke with Dr. Soumitra Pathare to get a sense of what the new law has in store and where it might still have issues.
Interview by: Navneet A Vasistha
Podcast edited by: Shruti Muralidhar
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