Digital Minds, Analog Laws: A Comparative Study of Regulatory Frameworks Governing Mental Health Telemedicine in India, the US, and the UK
Ch. Venkateswarlu
India faces a mental health crisis of staggering proportions, with an estimated 83% treatment gap and fewer than 0.3 psychiatrists per 100,000 population. Telemedicine has emerged as a transformative mechanism for bridging this gap, as evidenced by the Tele-MANAS programme's reach to over two million callers, 35% of whom were first-time mental health seekers. However, India's regulatory framework creates significant legal barriers to tele-psychiatry and digital mental health service delivery. Th