Unshackling Psychiatry

Dr. Aninda Sidhana

Women’s Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry

BY: Dr. Aninda Sidhana, and Dr. Bhavuk Garg Rapporteur, ANCIPS 2026

They say life is a series of choices, but for too long, the choices of those living with mental illness have been made for them—by fear, by shame, and by a medical system that often neglects And don't lose them from the shackles of myths . Sitting as a Rapporteur in the Brahmkamal Hall during the 77th Annual National Conference of the Indian Psychiatric Society (ANCIPS 2026), I felt the heavy weight of our history and the electric hope of our future And was thinking about the day that theme Unshackling Psychiatry was decided .

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Under the leadership of Organizing Chairperson Dr. Nimesh G. Desai, As always it gave new knowledge and too many points to ponder about and that too just before the budget.

"Unshackling Psychiatry for Society's Mental Health"

In his keynote address on January 29, Shri Bharat Lal, Secretary General of the NHRC, challenged us to move from the "margins" to the "center". He reminded us that at their core, human rights are not just legal statutes; they are about real people and everyday conduct. Mental health is the foundational pillar of our democracy—it is the very breath of dignity, liberty, and belonging.

This is our contribution to the UN "Pact for the Future," ensuring that as per UNSDG Leave no one behind

The Invisible Chains: Pinel’s Legacy in the 21st Century

And The session by Dr. Desai actually took us back to the history of philep pinel and he told that philep pinel had truly started Unshackling Psychiatry documented the session, And At that time also was successful in Physical Unshackling atleast and In 1793, he removed the iron chains from patients in Paris, birthing modern psychiatry through "moral treatment".

But today, as rightly Dr. Desai pointed out, we are still living under the cages And invisible shackles existing at three levels

1.the "societal chains" of discrimination

2 the "internal chains" of fear and silence that keep people from reaching out.

3 .Systemic chains

We are seeing a new kind of "reshackling" in the digital age. Dr. Desai spoke of the digital dependency fueling loneliness among our 35-crore youth population. We are no longer just treating a brain; we are trying to save a soul from a virtual world that offers connectivity but leaves a person feeling rootless.As I always say we are the saddest and loneliest generation in highly connected digital world with happiest faces on Fb.

Our President, Dr. Savita Malhotra, provided the academic roadmap in her plenary, "Remodelling Psychiatry: Thinking and Practice

Dr. Malhotra highlighted that modern mental health needs—particularly for India’s youth—are being radically reshaped by academic pressure, digital overexposure, and rapid social change. Her call to action focused on making mental health systems:

Accessible: Breaking physical and social barriers to care.

Youth-Friendly: Adapting services to the unique pressures of urban and digital life.

Integrated: Moving psychiatry from a medical sub-specialty to a core medical discipline.

. She argued that we must move closer to physical medicine to increase social acceptability. Her vision focused on making mental health systems youth-friendly, stigma-free, and integrated into the heart of urban and rural planning. This dialogue was anchored by leaders like Padma Shri Dr. B.N. Gangadhar, who reminded us that "unshackling" must also include the professionals. He spoke for the human rights of the doctors—advocating for a 16-hour work limit, the basic right to 6–8 hours of sleep, and even separate restrooms for women doctors to ensure we are not burning out while we try to heal others. This resonates with the dialogue started by Dr.Desai at Hyderabad around one year ago That Healers Need Healing Too .Alongside Dr. Roop Sidana and Dr. P. Kishan, who moderated these "uncomfortable questions," we sought to break the silence that has governed our clinics for too long.

The Human Face of Data: Saving the 35 Crore

The statistics from the National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) are stark: more than 1 in 8 people in India need care, and 7.3% suffer from a diagnosable disorder. But behind every percentage point is a young life waiting to be saved. We are facing a "Second Challenge"—a youth mental health crisis where 60% of disorders are diagnosed before the age of 35. Even it was told that over last few years highest rise in male callers to suicide helpline.

The median age of onset is 20 years, precisely the moment when our youth are being crushed by academic competition and pressure to perform.. I have seen how the toxic culture of ragging—where medical institutions account for 38.6% of incidents—shatters the self-worth of the next generation. When 38% of students don't report these horrors for fear of harming their careers, we know the "shackles" are still very much in place.

A 20-Point Promise to Future Generations

To translate these discussions into "lived realities," Shri Bharat Lal proposed a 20-point operational strategy as part of the NHRC Advisory on Mental Health. Conceived by Shri Bharat Lal as part of the NHRC's Advisory on Mental Health, a 20-point strategic framework was proposed to translate policy into "lived realities." This strategy targets three areas:

Human Resources (7 Points): Ensuring the availability of requisite teams (psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, nurses) and mandating regular meetings of Review Boards.

Outreach (6 Points): Creating yoga awareness, raising the profile of Tele-MANAS, and framing norms for mental health apps.

Rehabilitation (7 Points): Transitioning from custodial to recovery-oriented facilities, ensuring ward hygiene, and utilizing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds for mental health projects.

This framework is designed to turn policy into an instrument of accountability. It demands the availability of full psychiatric teams in every establishment, comprehensive human resource planning, and the mandatory integration of specialized care at the district level to close the 73% treatment gap. It calls for wellness centers in every school, the regulation of mental health apps, and the expansion of the Tele-MANAS ecosystem. Most importantly, it demands a transition from custodial centers to recovery-oriented homes that prioritize the basic human dignity of clean bedding, ventilation, and grievance redressal.

Dr. Aastha Tomar gave wonderful insights on her work in India and abroad .How helpseeking behaviour varies.

Resilience isn't about never falling; it's about rising every time we do. Through my M.I.N.D.W.E.A.V.E. framework—Mastering thoughts, Integrating self-care, and Nurturing networks—I advocate for survival as an act of defiance. I dream of , a sanctuary where "voice" replaces silence. And Empathy ,compassion and mental health is beyond genders .

As we move forward, let us remember that the discussions at the Landmark conference in the history of IPS and that too relevant theme must not be lost in just the conference halls and the way Unshackling has started ,it should reach the world . The work Philippe Pinel started in 1793 is ours to finish today.

And which was started in Delhi should be carried over by us.

Dr. Aninda Sidhana

Global Ambassador

WICCI National Mental Health & Psychosocial Wellness Council

Clinical Lead : Healcycle

Countdown Begins : To Unshackle Psychiatry & Move from clinics to outside classes , corporates to stadiums and a glamorous world.

From Diagnosing & Labelling To Understanding .

From Fixing the broken to fueling with purpose

From hiding pain to naming feelings

From Patient Files to Human stories

From shrugging & exclusion to embracing & inclusion

From couch of therapy room to cloud or microsoft

From walls of clinic to limitless technology

From local Address To Universal Access

From margins to centre in

From hiding in shame to healing in spotlight

From illness to wellness

From institutional care to community care

From changing landscape to community care

From wisdom of old to give wings to young generation

From Being Doctor To Being Human

From the Heart of Delhi to the Soul of the World.

The Flight of the Unshackled Mind begins.

Dr. Aninda Sidhana