Homoeopathy in Mental Disorders in Postpartum Stage

Abstract

Reading a heading in the Hindustan Times supplement on 10th May (Mother’s day) which wrote ‘Mum is not a good word’ was surprising & when delved in to the article, it was about mothers who went through postnatal depression & have narrated their painful experiences & how they came out of the situation. The current article looks into the aspects of mental disorders during postnatal period out of which postnatal depression is one of the disorders. The article looks into the brief history of public health programs on mental health in India & the emergence of maternal mental health as an issue. It moves on to the current situation on postnatal disorders in India & the role of Homoeopathy to deal with these disorders therapeutically as a component of Ministry of AYUSH. The article suggests the integration of medical pluralism in mental health through inclusion of Homoeopathy in the gamete of mental health. As each & every drug in Homoeopathy is only proved on human beings, all the drugs have a mental component as it is only human beings who can express their physical & mental symptoms during proving of the drugs as per the guidelines set by the Homoeopathic research councils of each nation. In India, Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, an autonomous body under the ministry of AYUSH lays out such guidelines. The article gains more relevance during the current COVID 19 crisis which has precipitated the stress levels & the mothers who have delivered since March 2020 are more prone to mental disorders during their postnatal stage.