ThePrint ·
India Mental Health Alliance Highlights Lived Experience and Community-based Wisdom as Vital Sources of Knowledge for Care Practice and Policy
New Delhi [India], September 16: In keeping with WHO’s World Mental Health theme for this year, ‘Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change’, a key focus of the India Mental Health Alliance’s convening in Delhi this week was ‘experience-based knowledge’. This encompasses not only individual lived experience, but also the knowledge and insights generated by community and grassroots organisations through their work within specific cultural contexts and local realities, that help shape care practices and policy.
As part of the year round series ‘Connecting India for Mental Health’, 86 member organisations convened in Delhi for the third regional convening following Guwahati & Mumbai meets. The series brings IMHA 370+ alliance organisations together across geographies and sectors to build connections, share knowledge and strengthen collaboration within India’s mental health ecosystem. The next regional meet is scheduled in Bengaluru on 4th December 2026.
Neha Kirpal, Co-founder IMHA said, “In a country as diverse as India, where needs, experiences and realities vary significantly across communities; a decentralised, community-driven approach to mental healthcare is critical. Such an approach can help bridge the fragmentation & lack of access, bring greater cohesion across stakeholders, and ensure that mental health systems are informed by the realities of the communities they serve for lasting impact.”
