Healthcare startups leveraging technology in solving mental health issues

As per a WHO report, India is among the leading countries whose citizens are battling depression and anxiety. The country has only about 0.3 psychiatrists and 0.07 psychologists for every 100,000 people which limits the accessibility of doctors for the ill. To cure this issue, start-ups are taking to artificial intelligence (AI) and modern technological means to keep a keen eye on the mental health of Indians. Mukesh Bansal, founder of Mind.fit, elaborated that “Unfortunately, mental health is a much-neglected aspect in India. Given the rising cases of lifestyle diseases, we wanted to build a unique, customer-focused holistic health solution that inculcates mental wellness. There is a gradual increase in the number of people taking some steps towards coping with anxiety, hypertension, stress and other issues. This is a positive sign”.

Per Indian online doctor consultation platform, Lybrate, people aged between 25 and 45 were 50 percent more likely to have mental health issues than any other age group. The numbers are even higher when it comes to the urban population. Wysa has been trying to cure the mental health problems with its AI systems. Through the AI bot, which was launched for the public in January this year, the firm has been able to provide mental health support to over 90,000 users in around 30 countries.