Illustration of a man in a mask resting his head on his hands inside a bubble with the map of India in the background

In India, socioeconomic barriers exclude marginalized communities from conversations around mental health. Illustration by (c) Reset Fest Inc, Canada

Podcasts

Episode 10: India’s Looming COVID-19 Mental Health Crisis

COVID-19 exposed India’s crumbling mental healthcare system, especially its impact on oppressed communities.

The Re:Set Team

Published on February 25, 2022

On this episode of Why This Now? by Re:Set, we delve into the brewing COVID-19 related mental health crisis in India.

To show us the bigger picture of India’s mental health landscape, the role of the government in shaping mental health policy, and the impact of COVID-19, we have Harvard psychiatrist, researcher and educator Dr. Vikram Patel. With her own experiences, journalist Anusha Sundar shares her story of losing her job, the strains of moving back in with your parents, and going through a pandemic with pre-existing mental health challenges. Human rights activist and lawyer Manjula Pradeep and Dalit queer activist, writer and curator Aroh Akunth show us the pandemic through the lens of the disproportionately affected marginalized communities.

Trigger warning: please note, this episode has mentions of mental illness, suicide, and self-harm. Listener discretion is advised. If you or someone you know needs help, please know there are resources you can reach out to.

CREDITS:

Host: Aakanksha Tangri
Writer: Akanksha Mishra
This is a Maed in India production.
Audio Engineer & Editor: Kartik Kulkarni
Producer: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Assistant Producer: Husein Haveliwala