Our Story
India’s first platform for quality mental health journalism
Launched on 10th October 2025, World Mental Health Day, Mentality aims to shape the discourse on mental health issues in India by investigating their root causes and questioning systems that perpetuate the crises.
There is a particular techno-economic system we exist in, which is making us more lonely, isolated and weak. If we consider it journalism’s duty to document history as it unfolds, then that is what Mentality intends to do in the sphere of mental health.
Our stories might be about individuals, but we always place them in context so that we can hold the powerful accountable.
Mental health is usually perceived to be a privileged people’s problem. Nothing can be further from the truth as poverty and inequality, in fact, negatively impact mental health. Coverage of mental health in media has an enormous impact on public perception, stigma, and policy decisions.
Our Values
Empathetic Storytelling
Mindful Language
Evidence-backed Reporting
Our sensitivity readers help us ensure that our stories carry sensitive, and respectful representation of all lived experiences.
How We Started
Mentality started because of journalist Raksha Kumar’s professional and personal journeys. As a senior human rights journalist, Raksha has been traveling to different parts of the country, reporting from villages, small towns and cities on issues of land rights, forest rights, development and social justice. One thing she noticed over the years is that many people have a fair idea of how to fulfil their material needs: they struggle, fight, bend rules, comply or submit. But, mental health needs are almost never acknowledged, let alone voiced. Therefore, there is no question of meeting them.
In her personal life, despite their privilege and educational background, Raksha and her sister lost their father to a mixture of mental illnesses. This gave her the impetus to push the envelope on mental health reportage.
