Mental health may have finally found a place in everyday conversations, but for many city residents, seeking treatment still comes down to two questions: can they afford it, and do they consider it important enough to seek help? Psychiatrists say awareness about mental health has risen since the Covid-19 pandemic, with more people recognising psychological distress and approaching professionals. Yet psychiatric consultations, therapy and medicines can become a considerable recurring expense, particularly for middle-class families. Therapy at any private hospital costs an average of Rs 2000 per session, which translates to Rs 8,000 per month for weekly sessions. Even psychiatrist medicines cost heavy with the average bulk cost for a patient going to about Rs 6,000 per month.

 

Dr Deepak Awchat, Class 1 Psychiatrist, Regional Mental Hospital (RMH), informed The Hitavada that while private mental healthcare can be expensive, cost alone is not always the reason people stay away from treatment. Many continue to underestimate psychiatric illnesses compared to physical ailments and therefore do not consider treatment a priority. Also, there is a lack of awareness regarding the fact that several Government institutions offer mental healthcare free of cost. Government Medical College and Hospital (GMC), Regional Mental Hospital (RMH) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Nagpur, provide psychiatric consultations and counselling, with medicines also available free of cost through the public system.

 

“People readily seek treatment when they have a physical illness, but mental health is often pushed down the list of priorities. Even when services are available free of cost, some people do not come forward because they do not recognise the seriousness of the condition,” Dr Awchat said. The availability of care has also expanded beyond Nagpur city. Under the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP), psychiatric services and counselling are being taken to peripheral areas through rural hospitals, sub-district hospitals and primary health centres. This has reduced the need for patients from rural areas to travel to the city for every consultation. For those choosing private care, however, the financial burden is real. Unlike a short-term medical expense, psychiatric treatment can involve repeated consultations, long-term medication and, in some cases, therapy over an extended period. What might look like a manageable consultation fee can therefore become a sizeable monthly expense.

 

The issue becomes more complicated when patients discontinue treatment: not necessarily because services are unavailable, but because the illness itself is not perceived as requiring sustained medical attention. Mental-health professionals say this makes awareness and access two separate challenges. Nagpur has a network of Government facilities capable of providing free care, but people need to know about these services and, more importantly, recognise when professional intervention is necessary. For a city that has become comfortable speaking about mental health, the next challenge may therefore be less about simply spreading awareness and more about ensuring that awareness translates into timely and continued treatment.