The majority of psychiatric practice in India is governed by western notions of mental health and illness, which have largely neglected the importance of religion, family, eastern philosophy, and medicine in understanding and managing psychiatric problems. India is a melting pot of cultures, languages, ethnicities, and religious beliefs. Beyond these differences, there are some shared characteristics, such as the widespread practice of Hinduism as a religion, the traditional family structure, the use of the antiquated Indian medical system, and the emphasis placed on using age-old techniques like yoga and meditation to control the mind. In this article, it is discussed how Hinduism, Indian traditions, and Indian medical systems approach the mind and mental health. The study also focuses on how these Indian ideas might be applied to the practice of modern psychiatry.
Key words: mind, mental health, and Indian notions.
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