Manasadhara Trust

Manasadhara Trust ® was established in the year 2006 by the Late Dr K A Ashok Pai, a Psychiatrist, Writer, Film Maker and thinker. Mental health in India is largely a neglected and stigmatised area. The population in need is very large as compared to the resources available for treatment. It is also true that the care for mental ill health varies from physical ailments in the treatment protocols, the long duration of treatment (in many cases) and rehabilitation which requires expertise and a sense of long-term commitment. The WHO recommends 3 psychiatrists per 100000 populations. Currently the Indian ratio is 0.85 to 100000. Due to this gap, we end up treating mainly acute ailments. Long term care, psychosocial rehabilitation and integration of people with special needs into mainstream society usually takes a backseat. It is this gap that Manasadhara Trust aims to fill. The aims of the trust were to work in tandem with professionals in acute care to design individual specialised programs for different mental health concerns and to personalise care.

Manasadhara has a multi-disciplinary team consisting of psychiatrists, neurologists, clinical psychologists, physiotherapists, counsellors, general physician, nurses, special educators and skill imparting specialists. They help in identifying the abilities of clients, so that adequate and appropriate support is provided to maximize their functioning capabilities. After assessment, individualized support plans are designed, considering social, emotional behavioural and cognitive needs of the patient’s family. The communication difficulties experienced by many of these people compounds the distress. Hence, special emphasis is paid to managing interpersonal relationships, communication and behaviour management skills.