The Banyan aims to focus on treatment gap in country

Talking to DT Next, Vandana Gopikumar, co-founder of the organisation, stressed on the treatment gap in mental health. “The huge treatment gap is prevalent across the world, while in India it is believed to be up to 95 per cent. We will try to bridge the gap, in collaboration with government, civil society organisations, consumer groups (mental health institutions can be run by those with mental health issues). We will also try to build manpower though The Banyan Academy of Leadership in Mental Health (BALM) through not just psychiatrists, but also social workers and psychologists — as they play a key role in making it more development oriented.” She added that they also aim to include advocacy in vernacular, as against being only English-centric.

Now, the organisation has been addressing a wide range of services across the spectrum, including emergency care, recovery services and community-based care across 17 mental health units in three states — Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Kerala, apart from focusing on inclusive living

Commemorating the silver jubilee, The Banyan also launched the Other Identity Foundation that looks at a space to build a repository of how people recover from mental health issues. “They are not just in two ends of the spectrum — of the axe murderer or the other who is sitting depressed. There are many in the middle and they recover differently. The idea is to embrace diversity and learn from the recovery process, which could be through medical care, therapy or meditation and yoga.” She added that it is a movement to make society to open their eyes to a different reality and see it as part of society. “For this, we are showcasing those with mental issues and are successful.” The Banyan has also tied up with Qube Cinema to have short films to create large-scale awareness.