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| Year : 2021 | Volume
: 63
| Issue : 1 | Page : 88-90 |
Gandhian thought and mental health – A critique
Smriti Mahajan1, Suman Mahajan2
1 Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh, India
2 Department of Philosophy, Mehr Chand Mahajan DAV College for Women, Chandigarh, India
Correspondence Address:
Smriti Mahajan
Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College and Hospital, Chandigarh
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/psychiatry.IndianJPsychiatry_23_20
The entire gamut of psychiatric literature heavily references notions derived from western impressions. For many concepts, however, one need not go that far. The roots for various concepts, when examined closely, can be found in Gandhian thought and philosophy. Apart from his precious kernels in the fields of diet, sanitation and exercise; there are concepts in psychology, mental well-being and psychotherapy which seem like allusions to Gandhian principles. Nevertheless, to state that all his ideas hold true would be overzealous. His concepts of sexuality would not find favour with the modern mental health professional. The trick probably would be to see Gandhi in a more human light rather than the superhuman divinity that has been associated with him. This would allow us to better incorporate his principles in everyday life of regular individuals.
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