Sampreeti Das
Girijananda Chouwdhury University, Guwahati, Assam, India
Pages: 205-219
Pertaining to the diversity and constantly evolving nature of the population in India,
there is a need for indigenous approaches to mental health intervention Practitioners
have reported effectiveness of combining religious and cultural concepts from texts like
Ramayana, folk tales and yoga in understanding client beliefs and motivating change.
The past decades have observed significant changes in the domain of psychology and
psychiatry in India. In this light, the present study aimed for a narrative literature review
on approaches and models of mental health intervention suggested effective for the
Indian population based on its diverse and transitioning socio-cultural context. The
results reveal the use of culturally relevant vernacular concepts, practices, cultural
systems and alternative healing practices like yoga and spirituality integrated with
western models of counselling and psychotherapy for enhanced effectiveness. The
present study has practical implications for various practice settings- clinical, school,
industries etc.