Mental Health: The Spectre of Caste

Despite caste-based discrimination being outlawed by Article 15 of the Indian constitution, caste continues to play a pervasive and insidious role in today’s society. Anthropologist Louis Dumont termed Indian society “Homo Hierarchicus” in the early twentieth century – years later, this holds true. From childhood, caste influences one’s playmates and living situations, and in adulthood, one’s marriage choices, job prospects and leadership opportunities, and even social status. A Human Rights Watch study has found caste to be a “critical determinant” of inequalities faced by individuals across their lives. 

These structural barriers lead to significantly higher levels of mental distress. People from lower castes tend to experience depression 40% more than the national average in India.  Some students face difficulties in accessing care as well, as often, authority figures abuse their power. This has led to increased rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies among students from marginalised communities. In addition to this, medical institutions carry out malicious forms of bias: low caste persons face longer wait times, and callous doctors, who refuse to touch the patients, or even admit them to their clinics. Some have complained that they have tried to share their problems with psychologists, but the burden of guilt is placed on them, rather than the medical professional: and caste affects how mental health practitioners understand or relate to clients. The very understanding of psychology within India is dominated by “elite upper caste Hindu professionals”, making it inaccessible and, in some cases, downright hostile to marginalised communities. 

How then, can we establish a more caste-inclusive and culturally sensitive mental health system? How can we combat the stigma associated with mental illness among marginalised communities? What policies and initiatives can be implemented to enhance the mental well-being of systematically oppressed groups? Join our panelists, Divya Kandukuri, Ambedkarite feminist activist, trainer, writer, media practitioner, and the founder of The Blue Dawn, and Paras Sharma, co-founder and Director at The Alternative Story, as they delve into the societal, and cultural intersections between caste and mental health.