Schizophrenia, recovery, and culture: The need for an Indian perspective

Srinivasan Tirupati¹, Ramachandran Padmavati^2
1 Psychiatric Rehabilitation Service, Hunter New England Mental Health, Morisset; School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
² Schizophrenia Research Foundation (India), Anna Nagar West Extension, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Correspondence Address:
Srinivasan Tirupati,
Hunter New England Mental Health, Morisset Hospital, Morisset, NSW 2264
Australia

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None

DOI: 10.4103/ijsp.ijsp_178_21

Recovery is a concept that defined a positive and empowering experience for people with Schizophrenia. Recovery is an innately personal phenomenon, but the cultural environment can influence the recovery process. The concept of recovery originated in the West. The Eastern cultures differ in various aspects from the Western cultures. Application of the Western model of recovery in an Eastern culture like India without considering the cultural differences would be misplaced. This paper discusses two cultural factors in Indian life, namely, the family and the doctrines of Karma and Fate, that can impact recovery from Schizophrenia. Understanding the impact of culture on schizophrenia recovery should also consider cultural variations between individuals and over time. Principles and practice of Recovery-oriented mental health care in India should consider the unique local cultural environment.

Keywords: Culture, India, mental health recovery, mental health services, schizophrenia