India, Oct. 10 -- When Cyrus Vandrevala and the Vandrevala Foundation began addressing India's mental healthcare gap in 2009, mental health rarely received the public attention it does today. What began as a helpline operating through multiple city-based numbers has since evolved into a national support service, offering free psychological counselling and crisis intervention to people across India.

The initiative reflects a wider effort to address a public health challenge that remains widespread, even as awareness grows. According to the World Health Organization's estimates, around 1.2 billion people worldwide were living with a mental disorder in 2023 - nearly one in seven people. Anxiety and depressive disorders were among the most c...