Our psychiatrists step into roles as partners and leaders, not just practitioners

When you set out to build Amaha, what gaps in India’s mental healthcare system stood out the most? How did you plan to address them?

- Dr Amit Malik

When we began Amaha nine years ago, the gaps were stark. Awareness about mental health was limited, and stigma meant many people delayed or avoided seeking help altogether. For those who did reach out, the cost of sustained treatment often made care inaccessible. And even when care was available, the quality varied widely, evidence-based protocols were rarely applied, and families were left unsure of where to turn or whom to trust.

It became clear to us that these challenges couldn't be solved in isolation, they had to be addressed together. The deeper problem was that mental healthcare in India remained fragmented and uncoordinated, with very poor penetration of standardised high-quality care, leaving individuals and families to piece together their own support. That’s why our vision has always been to build an integrated continuum of care, spanning digital tools for self-reflection, teleconsultation, outpatient therapy and psychiatry, and specialised inpatient services. By linking these touchpoints together, we aim to ensure that people don’t fall through the cracks but instead move seamlessly through their care journey, whether that means early self-help, ongoing therapy, or intensive clinical support, without disruption or loss of trust.

How has your international experience influenced the way Amaha delivers psychiatric care? Are there practices from other countries that could benefit the wider Indian ecosystem?

My international experience has influenced both my clinical perspective and the way we have built Amaha. In the UK, I saw first hand the value of structured, multidisciplinary teams and the central role of evidence-based protocols and supervision. Those lessons have shaped how we deliver psychiatric care at Amaha, with psychiatrists, therapists, and care coordinators working together so that clients are supported across a full continuum of care rather than treated in isolation.