A Literature Review on Ayurvedic Management of Psychiatric Disorders

Psychiatric illnesses are fundamentally no different from medical illnesses. Historically, illnesses with prominent disturbance of psychological function or behavior and no obvious pathology came to be regarded as psychiatric. However, the modern world now knows that there is demonstrably altered brain function in many psychiatric disorders; psychiatric illness is no less real or less deserving of care than medical conditions.
Ayurveda defines health as a state of equilibrium of tridosha, trimala, sapatadhatu, and homeostasis of mind and sense organs. Grahachikitsa is one of Ayurveda's eight major branches that deal with the prevention and management of mental problems.
Studies estimate that at least 10% of the world’s population is affected by mental illness and that 20% of children and adolescents have some mental disorder. A WHO report on depression reveals that almost 7.5% of the Indian population suffers from major or minor mental disorders that require medical intervention. National Health Survey of India reveals that “Every sixth Indian need mental health help
Despite significant advancement in the science of psychiatry, the problems that remained with the management of some mental issues like anxiety, stress, and mental retardation have not been fully solved for decades.
In addition to this, the adverse effect of anti-psychotic; anxiolytic medication also creates a considerable amount of discomfort to the patient. At this point, it is thought that such therapies should be exposed and adapted in order to treat these disorders without causing unwanted consequences properly.