New Delhi: To address mental health challenges among medical professionals and break the stigma around seeking help, six Indian and UK organisations have launched the Humanising Medicine India Initiative.The initiative seeks to create a culture in which doctors can openly acknowledge mental health struggles, disability, grief and caregiving responsibilities without fearing stigma or being seen as less competent.The coalition includes India Mental Health Alliance (IMHA), Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS), Indian Teachers of Psychiatry (IToP), World Psychiatric Association Zone 15, Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and Accept Support Help Another (ASHA Kerala).“It is a national initiative aimed at fostering a culture in which medical professionals can acknowledge their own lived experiences of mental health challenges and seek support without fear or stigma,” said Dr Kavita Arora, founding cohort member of IMHA, child and adolescent psychiatrist, and co-founder of Children First.The initiative comes against the backdrop of significant mental health concerns among medical professionals. An Indian meta-analysis found depressive symptoms in approximately one in two undergraduate medical students. A study involving resident doctors and faculty at a tertiary-care hospital found that 30.1% screened positive for depression, 16.7% reported suicidal ideation and more than 90% experienced some level of burnout.The coalition argues that stigma and fears about professional competence can prevent doctors from acknowledging distress and seeking timely help.“We want to create a culture where caring for oneself is understood as part of caring for others, and where seeking help is seen as compatible with being a good doctor,” said Prof Subodh Dave, president of Royal College of Psychiatrists, UK.The initiative will include a national survey exploring medical professionals’ lived experiences and barriers to help-seeking, a three-part webinar series on doctors’ wellbeing, and an in-person workshop at the Indian Psychiatric Society’s annual conference in Madurai in Jan 2027.It will culminate in a ‘Care for Self Pledge’ for individual doctors and a ‘Culture of Care Charter’ through which institutions across India will commit to creating safer environments for conversations around mental health and seeking support.IPS president Dr TS Sathyanarayana Rao said doctors’ own experiences of vulnerability, resilience and healing deserve recognition alongside their work supporting patients.
