Mental Health and Indian Psychology: Recent Trends and Future Directions

Psychol Stud https://doi.org/10.1007/s12646-023-00777-9 REFLECTIONS Mental Health and Indian Psychology: Recent Trends and Future Directions Jyotsna Agrawal1 · Riya Ganer1 Received: 5 February 2023 / Accepted: 13 September 2023 © The Author(s) under exclusive licence to National Academy of Psychology (NAOP) India 2024 Abstract Acclaimed psychologist Durganand Sinha (1922–1998) worked towards bringing Indian psychology ideas into the mainstream, which has generally been dominated by the psychological ideas rooted in the West, emerging from a scientific, medicalized background. The currently mainstream ideas have manifold limitations in holistically understanding and supporting humans in their existential life journey. The current article reviews the field’s growth since Sinha’s seminal article “Integration of Modern Psychology with Indian Thought” in the Journal of Humanistic Psychology (1965). Many developments have occurred to build a movement of Indian psychology in the country, and the current article briefly reviews them before sharing specific observations from the field and ways to move forward, especially in the context of teaching, research and applications of mental health as informed by Indian psychology. Keywords Indian psychology · Yoga psychology · Mental health · Bhagavadgita Introduction In this special tribute issue to honour Prof. Durganand Sinha (1922–1998), the current paper is an attempt to converge and critically evaluate the literature on mental health as informed by Indian psychology (IP), especially in the light of his seminal article, “Integration of Modern Psychology with Indian * Jyotsna Agrawal jyotsna.agl@gmail.com 1 Department of Clinical Psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru 560029, Karnataka, India Thought” (1965). Sinha (1965a, 1965b) highlighted that the roots of modern psychology being deep within the soil of scientific and medical traditions have led to the adoption of scientific conservatism, and that such a materialistic approach restricts the topics studied and hypotheses considered. He noted that the prevalent psychological models were often based on experimental studies with animals and/ or observation of persons with mental illness (Sinha, 1965a, 1965b). A more comprehensive and coherent approach to advance the field might be to delve into the subjective experiences of seers as documented in the Indian psychology, which may then provide integrated meta-theories of the human mind, personality, motivation, emotions, etc., along with innovative research hypotheses, thereby leading to an ‘universal psychology’ (Loomba, 1953; Sinha, 1965a, 1965b). The rich and dynamic past of the Indian civilization (Mohanty, 2022), with multiple strands of intellectual, philosophical and spiritual visions, inspires an expansive field of Indian psychology, i.e. a system of psychology rooted in the classical Indian thoughts (Rao & Paranjpe, 2016). Indian psychology may provide a multitude of research questions and interventions for comprehensive psycho-spiritual development. It may be better connected with people’s psyche in India and, thus, be more effective over an extended period covering various developmental stages of a person. Although there have been welcome developments, broad trends suggest that when a concept rooted in the Indian tradition has been researched and popularized in the West (e.g. mindfulness), it receives more attention and resources even in the native land, accentuating a want for in-depth scholarship and courage of conviction, instead of Indian psychology concepts having inadequate relevance in itself. Such a dearth of creativity and originality has been attributed to a need for better integration between the personal and professional 13 Vol.:(0123456789) Psychol Stud selves of psychologists in India (Salagame, 2008). The facts suggest that there has been a harmonious co-development of religion, philosophy, and psychology in the Indian tradition, with its diverse schools (Yoga, Jaina, Buddhism, Tantra etc.) developing deep insights into life’s existential problems and finding freedom and ultimate liberation (Moksha) through the integration of mind and Self (Hiriyanna, 1951; Sinha, 1965a, 1965b). Thus, there is a need to study Indian psychology as an advanced and comprehensive form of psychology for human growth and well-being. Western researchers have been able to delve deeper into Western philosophy with little conflict (Manickam, 2008), such as positive psychology taking inspiration from Greek tradition or the third wave in psychology borrowing heavily from Yoga-Vedanta and Buddhism (Salagame, 2011a). On the contrary, psychology, as currently taught and practised by psychologists in India, usually comes from the West, and their relationship with the Indian philosophical ideas continues to be marred by a sense of indifference, separation, rebellion, or even active antipathy (Manickam, 2008; Sinha, 1965a, 1965b). These reactions betray internalized colonialism (David & Okazaki, 2006, 2010), with the West being treated as a benchmark from which knowledge and models are borrowed for consumption, replication, and cultural adaptation. Such massive collective efforts could be better utilized to develop knowledge generation and exchange centres, instead of becoming a poor copy of Anglo-American psychology. A note on the broad developments in the field A collective vision of psychology rooted in the Indian tradition, has led to certain developments over the last few decades, such as, academic departments where Indian psychology is taught at undergraduate and masters level (e.g. University of Allahabad, Delhi University, Andhra University, Mysore University etc.), training through long and short courses (e.g. Indian Psychology Institute, Puducherry), national and international conferences and symposiums, and development of supportive literature (books, articles), thereby socialization of future academicians and researchers in the field (Bhawuk, 2011; Cornelissen et al., 2013; Oman & Singh, 2018; Rao & Paranjpe, 2016; Rao et al., 2008; Sinha, 1986; Sinha et al., 2015; ). Mental Health and Indian Psychology While Indian psychological traditions provide advanced spiritual practices for psycho-spiritual growth, their foundation is built upon good mental health, and the need to work with the mind and mental processes is a 13 shared concern and topic of study between IP and clinical psychology (Sinha, 1965a, 1965b). One may observe that since the 80s and 90s, there seems to be a fluctuating interest in Indian psychology, with majority of attention going towards research on Yoga and meditation. Some of the early literature deliberated upon the relevance of Indian thoughts for gaining insights into the mind and consciousness (Ayurveda, Reddy, 1987; Desiraju, 1983; YogaVedanta, Ranganathananda, 1983), mental health (Gita and Ayurveda, Rao, 1983b; stress and Samkhya-yoga, Rao, 1983a) and development of psychological interventions (Aminabhavi, 1996; Bhagavadgita, Balodhi & Keshavan, 1986; Malathi et al., 1999; Meti, 1990; Raja yoga, Balodhi, 1986; Srinivasan, 1983; Triveni et al., 1999; Yoga, Selvamurthy, 1983). There has been a renewed interest over the last decade in insights into mental health issues from the perspectives of Bhagavad Gita (Balodhi & Keshavan, 2011; Bhawuk, 2021), Atharva Veda (Rangaswami, 2021; Tripathi, 2021a), Upanishads (Hemchand, 2021), Vedanta (Ramaprasad, 2021), Buddhism (Chalill, 2021) and Yoga (Satish & Shah, 2021; Tripathi, 2021b). A body of research has gradually built up, and a brief overview is given below. Yoga and mental health Empirical evidence has found benefits of Yoga in schizophrenia (Duraiswamy et al., 2007; Govindaraj et al., 2016; Rao et al., 2021), OCD (Bhat et al., 2016), depression (Balasubramaniam et al., 2013; Birdee et al., 2008; Cramer et al., 2013; Knobben, 2013; Naveen et al., 2013; Pascoe & Bauer, 2015), anxiety disorders (Birdee et al., 2008; Hofmann et al., 2016; Pascoe & Bauer, 2015), ADHD (Balasubramaniam et al., 2013), pain (Büssing et al., 2012) and in elderly (Hariprasad et al., 2013; Wang, 2009). Research also suggests that Yoga, especially when practised over time, contributes to higher levels of sattva (Patil & Nagendra, 2014), equanimity (Hofmann et al., 2016) and well-being across the population (Chung et al., 2012; Eastman-Mueller et al., 2013; Noggle et al., 2012; Telles & Singh, 2013; Vogler et al., 2011). There seems to be more robust evidence for emotional well-being, than for psychological and social well-being (Knobben, 2013). Although studies have also reported a variety of limitations (Domingues, 2018; Faucher, 2020; Hendriks et al., 2017), for example, Singh (2017) discussed challenges around paradigmatic choice, the methodological approach, and the subtle process of Yoga and practical constraints. Future research can incorporate other components of Yoga, especially related to the mind (Schmid et al., 2021; Varambally & Gangadhar, 2016) and study counselling and psychotherapy based on the principles of Psychol Stud Yoga (Bhavanani, 2014; Satish, 2014). Also suggested are studies focusing on primary prevention, relapse prevention, comparison with pharmacotherapy, larger sample size, thoughtful consideration of duration and frequency of yoga interventions, and follow-up (Balasubramaniam et al., 2013). Bhagavad Gita and mental health The ancient text of Bhagavad Gita is another sourcebook for mental health models, such as the role of triguna in mental health (Anoopkumar & Balodhi, 2016; Nedungottil et al., 2022; Sharma et al., 2012), indigenous insight into wisdom (Jeste & Vahia, 2008), or Gita-based counselling and psychotherapy (Bhatia et al., 2013; Bhawuk, 2011, 2021; Dabas & Singh, 2016, 2018; Hiremath & Salagame, 2021). Integrated Indian Psychology interventions Since Indian psychology has multiple texts and traditions with coherently interconnected ideas, integrated programmes have also been proposed after examining Bhagavad Gita, Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra, and Yoga Vasishta. For example, ideas about optimal living (Agrawal, 2019, 2022) and overcoming suffering (Salagame, 2011b) have been translated into psychological interventions and tested empirically (Agrawal, 2021; Kaur, 2020; Lokanath, 2021; Tekur et al., 2012). Interest in Indian Psychology The Indian psychology symposiums received enthusiastic responses from mental health professionals, trainee therapists, academicians and researchers in Indian Psychology and Yoga. Over the years, there was an expansion of reach and engagement, with the latest symposium on Integral Yoga Psychology receiving more than 600 registrations. Since these programmes were conducted online due to Covid-19 situation, the participants could join from different parts of India, and a few were from abroad. This highlights a growing interest in the area of Indian psychology amongst mental health professionals. An investigation into the nature of the participants indicated that, in general, there were two major groups, one with little background in Indian psychology, who were curious to know more about the alternative paradigm which Indian psychology can offer to the mainstream Western models. The other group had participants with some background in Indian psychology or Yoga, ranging from those studying it at the degree level (Psychology or Yoga) to those with either an advanced training or practice. The most significant proportion of the participants was mental health professionals interested in the implications of Indian psychology for counselling and psychotherapy. Some of these already included Yoga and Indian psychology insights into their professional counselling practice. A few participants were teachers of Indian psychology at graduation/post-graduation levels, and a few were also early career researchers either doing research in Indian Psychology or planning to select a topic in the area. Unmet needs related to Indian Psychology Current needs and scope for future work in Indian Psychology and mental health It must be highlighted that the need of the hour is a range of innovative applied research in the area of mental health which is informed by the Indian psychology, and which can incorporate a transdiagnostic model of change linked to beliefs, attitudes, cognitions, emotions, life choices, etc. In this context, a series of annual symposiums on Indian psychology was conducted at the Department of Clinical Psychology at NIMHANS, Bengaluru, by a newly established division VIPRA (Vedic Indian Psychology Research & Application) from 2020 to 2022. These symposiums covered a variety of sub-topics within the field, from Bhagavad Gita to Integral Yoga psychology. A few salient observations related to the issue at hand are given below: Based on the comments/feedbacks, it was observed that the emphasis of participants from the mental health profession was on learning Indian psychology based psychotherapy, which could be included in their practice in a more structured manner, either as an independent therapy model or as an adjunct to the mainstream therapy models. Their focus was on practical elements from the Indian psychology concerning marriage, parenting, teenagers’ issues, depression, and addiction, and they requested therapy manuals for working with these issues. Linked to this was a need for ways and tools to assess people on various relevant dimensions of Indian psychology and, if possible, for guidelines to match them with helpful interventions. Some participants were primarily interested in Indian psychology applications for education in general, and others in findings ways to teach Indian psychology more lucidly. Unmet lacks were also associated with finding/developing a platform for interactions and peer learning in the area and having more programmes and certificate courses which one 13 Psychol Stud can do at their convenience. A need for application-focused literature, scientific evidence, and supporting material in the form of books, research papers, case studies, and self-reflections was highlighted. Translation of technical terms in easyto-understand language was also stressed. Some requested ‘how to’ methods to develop qualities given primacy in IP, such as abhyasa, vairagya, higher wisdom, surrender, and expanding consciousness, especially by those focused on self-growth. It was also underscored that there needs to be more funding for research in this area. A few comments also indicated anxiety related to the dilution of the professional identity of psychologists and questioned the relevance of IP in modern times. Significant issues and the way forward As the Indian economy expands, there is a need for parallel improvement in the crucial dimensions of human development (HDI; Ahuja, 2022; Nations, n.d). Psychological insights may be utilized for policy-making in diverse fields, including mental health; however, such applications have more profound ecological validity when based on Indian psychology. Nevertheless, in the Indian universities, a significant part of the Psychology syllabus covers Western concepts and models, still using Western textbooks and other resources. Even in research, most psychological tests, tools and questionnaires currently used, have been developed in the West (Rao, 2008), and there is an attempt to replicate Western findings in the Indian setting, rather than exploring and testing Indian concepts. Ideas from the Indian psychology are often not researched rigorously or taught in-depth, due to benign neglect or adversarial treatment. These factors interact and lead to a vicious cycle of insufficient evidence, low academic or research attention, poor funding and/or sparse application in the field, leading to a disconnect from those people the profession serves. Indian psychology, a sibling of darshana and dharma, is treated suspiciously by the modern secular, scientific paradigm, which throws the baby along with the bath water. Given the context described above, no wonder few attempts to develop theoretical models exist (Agrawal, 2019; Bhawuk, 2021; Salagame, 2011b). Beyond colonization driven epistemic amnesia, these challenges are also responsible for the current research and application in Indian psychology following pragmatism. On one hand, the concepts are inspired by the texts or traditions, and models are developed using reasoning, inferences and comparison. On the other hand, little work in the field is based on direct experience of the truth, which brings us to the question of methodology. The commonly applied research methodology is third-person research; scanty mixed-method or 13 qualitative work is present, and rarely is first-person research available in the literature. Moving forward, the university departments will need a significant change in their research guidelines before such research may be accepted and approved. The curriculum and pedagogy of Indian psychology, heavy in concepts and taught in a didactic style, needs modifications too. Small study groups and the inclusion of personal projects lending themselves to first-person research might be better aligned with the Indian psychology vision. Thus, it may be emphasized that a lot more effort, both at institutional and individual levels, is required for the field to develop further. We hope this special tribute issue will add to the growing attempts to develop the field and find deeper integration of Indian psychology with the ‘psychology as taught, researched, and practised today’. Acknowledgements Not applicable. Author Contributions The idea for the study was developed by Dr. JA. All authors were involved in the study conception, literature review and drafting. The study was critically revised by Dr. JA. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Funding This research did not receive any grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Data Availability No datasets available (Not applicable). Declarations Conflict of interest The authors declared that they had no conflicts of interest with respect to their authorship or the publication of this article. Ethical Approval Not applicable. Consent to Participate Consent for Publication of this article. Not applicable. All the authors consent for the publication References Agrawal, J. (2021). Sattva enhancement therapy: An illustrative report. Indian Journal of Clinical Psychology, 48(2), 131–136. Agrawal, J. (2022). Yogic Tradition and well-being. 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