Digital psychiatry increasing access to mental health care
But digital psychiatry is now changing the face of rural mental healthcare. Speaking to The Hans India, SDME Kshemavana, Clinical Psychologist, said, Teleconsultations, artificially intelligent mental health applications, and e-prescriptions are bridging the gap by providing services remotely and at a reasonable cost so that geographical constraints no longer hinder access to care.
India has less than 10,000 psychiatrists for a population of 1.4 billion. The rural ratio of psychiatrist to patient is approximately 1:500,000, which is far from the WHO's recommended ratio of 1:10,000. The majority of patients need to travel more than 100 km for consultation, which tends to lead to treatment dropout or delay. The shame attached to the issue of mental health goes ahead to discourage people from coming forward. This results in an increase in suicides, long-term mental illness, and financial pressure on families, says Vedashree K Rao. She said, Telepsychiatry has enabled patients to seek psychiatrists over the phone or via video without having to travel from their villages. Teleconsultations have reduced treatment dropouts by 30% in rural areas, as stated by The Lancet Psychiatry. The National Tele Mental Health Program (NTMHP) has facilitated thousands of such teleconsultations, enabling earlier diagnosis and treatment.
Mental health apps based on AI, such as Wysa and Manas, offer mood monitoring, CBT-based self-help activities, and anonymous chat services. According to a study conducted by AIIMS, 70% of users in rural areas using these apps reported decreased anxiety and enhanced mood within three months. These applications are especially effective in regions where professional mental health facilities are scarce, said Vedashree K Rao. She said, E-prescriptions are also simplifying care, enabling psychiatrists to write prescriptions from a distance. A Tamil Nadu pilot demonstrated that medication compliance was 40% greater among patients who received e-prescriptions compared to those who received prescriptions via face-to-face visits.
Organizations such as SCARF are educating ASHAs and frontline health workers to utilize digital technologies for mental health services. In Tamil Nadu, the intervention resulted in a 50% decrease in suicides within three years. Karnataka's collaboration with NIMHANS treated more than 5,000 patients using telepsychiatry in a year. Andhra Pradesh's SMART Mental Health Program screened more than 1.7 lakh adults using mobile technology. She added, Even with the advances, challenges such as internet unreliability, low levels of digital literacy, and reluctance towards online consultations continue to be significant hurdles.
Upgrading rural internet infrastructure, educating health workers on digital skills, and lowering stigma are key to making digital psychiatry accessible. With continuing advances in digital solutions, rural India can benefit significantly from balanced and timely mental health care.
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