Community Support in Mental Health Recovery: Mind X’s Efforts amidst Limited Resources

Community Support in Mental Health Recovery: Mind X’s Efforts amidst Limited Resources

Joyeeta Bhattacharjee & Krisika Gogoi

Contemporary India is an India where the distance between generations, states, and cities continues to diminish every day. No land is isolated from the rest of the country- given the widespread connectivity of resources, services, and people. Economic, social, and technological changes have been introduced to the country’s rubric of citizens in collaborative efforts by the existing leadership. This creates immense opportunities for employment, livelihood, trade, geopolitical unity, and a higher or global standard of living.

However, an increased focus on development and productivity in the economic and technological sense; not only has chances of bringing in unprecedented damage to the external/physical environment (such as causing uncontrollable, deadly floods); but has also brought an increased damage to the internal emotional/mental makeup of the population.

For example, there is stress, dysregulation of emotions, debilitating personal relationships, an overt hyper-competitiveness, unresolved feelings and trauma; producedin this rapidly expanding world. As cities expand, a large population from smaller towns and villages, continues to shift and uproot their lives to settle in an anonymity driven world. Communities and sub urban neighborhoods are created everyday, where people live within a bubble of responsibilities, day to day problems, and extreme strain on their minds.

Across India, mental health unease rises progressively. Recent statistics suggest that nearly one in seven Indians experiences some form of mental health issues, yet over 80 per cent do not receive timely or adequate care. A reason for this is the relentless pursuit of continuous engagements, or in other words, ‘no time to take care of oneself’ after work.

Assam mirrors this national challenge. Contemporary state-level trends indicate a steep increase in reported mental health cases in government hospitals between 2021 and 2025, alongside suicide rates that remain slightly above the national average, particularly among the youth. Despite this aggravated scenario, mental health finds far less awareness than physical health, leaving individuals, families, and communities at risk.

Amidst this prevalence of a lack of resources and access to proper mental health care, many organizations silently take up attempts to heal the community. One such organization is ‘Mind X- Under Us’. It serves as one of the first sources of contact for individuals and families seeking help in the mental health domain. Cities like Guwahati present a paradox as they continue to reflect an increasing mental health divide in a visible manner where awareness of it increases in urban areas; but the desire to take adequate action through awareness continues to decline.

During her stint with Mind X, the author observed that no modernization could resolve the misconstrued notions and stigma on mental health andmental illness.  Organization personnel revealed tragic stories that inmates have experienced. For example, instead of ensuring access to appropriate care-oriented services, their familiessent on pathways that create unnecessary hardship, such as relying on the unscientific methods of ‘faith healers’.  A person with such issues is regarded incompetent, and in colloquial terms, ‘pagol’.

As a result, the treatment is postponed, symptoms became worse,and the individual’s rights and dignity are violated. A close source Rayisha Das (name changed for confidentiality), a mental health personnel who works in a community setting in Guwahati, stated that a boy in the community was on the autism spectrum. But his family, did not know how to deal with the condition or where to seek support from.

In lieu of his neighboursbeing scared of him, or calling him ‘odbhut’, maintaining distance from the family due to their prejudiced notions,his condition quickly aggravated and the family was forced to move out of the said community. No one befriended the family, let alone the child. These findings demonstrate how persistent assumptions about mental illness and barriers to seeking professional help continue to affect people’s resilience.

Thus, as a community and family-focusedorganization, ‘Mind X Under Us’ serves with the aim of reducing gap between families and mental health by delivering counselling services, mental health awareness programs and constant emotional support. It identifies psychological distress early- often before symptoms progress into ‘severe’ ones. Families are assisted to understand the nature of mental illness, actively participate in treatment and provide informed care.

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It works together with formal healthcare institutions such as hospitals to provide necessary information and ensure consistency of care, when specialized or medical intervention is required, particularly in cases when an individual requires prolonged treatment and subsequent monitoring.

The early recognition of mental health concerns through this organization makes it easier to intervene in time and thereby reduce the intensity and effects of mental health disorders.  This organization operates in a comprehensive and family-focused manner, with trained mental health professionals, such as psychiatrists and certified nurses within its institutional premises.

It produces a holistic environment by emphasizing not just psychosocial (counselling, medication, group sessions etc)but recreational activities like outdoor games, group activities, creative exercises, role play, and celebrations of significant days as an essential component of care, beyond therapy-related services.

Despite operating within financial and marketing constraints, Mind X ensures ongoing family support, enhances treatment compliance, and reinforces the role of community in creating are assuring environment for mental health care. It strengthens recovery in not just the individual, but the family and the community- through adequate sensitization along with coordinated treatment.

In conclusion, strengthening mental healthcare is not only a professional or institutional task but a societal necessity. The role of such organizations (like Mind X) must be recognized in contributing to taking care of communities, in a state like Assam. It is inevitable to talk about mental health related matters, spread awareness at home and familiar spaces, and finally fight the stigma in mental health with informed intervention.

The authors urge the reader, especially the youth of today, to identify some organizations in the state which support communities in mental health education, but require support themselves and use their voices to aid these!

Contact: Joyeeta Bhattacharjee : joyeeta321@gmail.com / Krisika Gogoi :  krisikagogoi@gmail.com

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