Journal of Psychology and Psychiatry

This narrative scoping review of published reports and literature focuses on digital mental health in India and pertinent global insights [8, 9].

Information Sources

Between May and July of 2025, searches were made in institutional repositories, Indian mental health journals, PubMed, Google Scholar, and grey literature (government documents, reports).

Keywords and Search Strategy

 "Digital mental health India," "teletherapy India," "mental health apps India," "AI chatbot India," "wearables mental health," and the words "India," "psychology," and "psychiatry" were among the terms used [10 - 12].

Inclusion Requirements

• Printed from 2019 to 2025
• Indian-specific or applicable to Indian contexts
• Review, analysis, or commentary on the use of digital tools in mental health

Exclusion criteria include

• Non-English language papers;
• Only technical engineering papers without clinical or contextual discussion

Sample/Size

 Forty-five articles and reports met the inclusion criteria after duplicates were eliminated [13 - 15].

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS

No ethical approval was needed for this review, which only used published works that were accessible to the public.

RESULTS

Table 1: Thematic analysis of the 45 included works yielded the following key insights

Further cross-cutting observations

• There is no centralised oversight for mental health apps in India, which raises ongoing concerns about regulatory gaps. PMC + 2. Assessment+2 and Cambridge University Press. Table 1.
• Cultural and linguistic significance is important; employing regional language tools and using tactful metaphors boosts acceptability.
• There is still glaring disparity in digital adoption: older, low-income, and rural populations lag behind; an excessive reliance on technology may result in a disregard for human care and therapeutic nuance.

DISCUSSION

These results show both promise and caution. Particularly in settings with limited resources, teletherapy and apps democratise access; however, their efficacy is contingent upon contextual factors, such as connectivity, privacy, and familiarity with digital tools. While wearables and AI chatbots provide scalable augmentation, they cannot replace therapeutic relationships, particularly in Indian contexts where familial, existential, and relational issues are frequently at the forefront.

A smart approach is to use a blended care model, which can include chatbot-based support, mood monitoring, and digital check-ins to supplement infrequent in-person meetings. This honours therapeutic depth as well as effectiveness. The regulatory and policy framework needs to change. For example, India's National Digital Health Mission should integrate clinical validation procedures, privacy laws, and mental health standards. The Mental Healthcare Act of 2017 offers a foundation based on rights, but it needs to be expanded to include digital spaces.

Digital ethics, digital literacy, and culturally sensitive design must all be covered in psychologists' training programs. Additionally, studies must look at longitudinal clinical outcomes and include rural, non-English, low-SES populations in addition to urban, English-speaking demographics.

LIMITATIONS

Selection bias may exist because this review is narrative rather than systematic. Many technologies are in their early or pilot stages, and there are still few empirical trials conducted in India.

CONCLUSION & SUGGESTIONS

India is at a turning point in its history: the gap in mental health care is growing, but digital tools present previously unheard-of opportunities. But technology won't be enough on its own. Integrative, culturally aware, morally sound tactics that maintain interpersonal relationships are the way forward.

Principal suggestions

1. Provide culturally relevant content for digital mental health tools in regional languages.
2. Establish a regulatory framework with risk and clinical evidence-based tiers for apps related to mental health.
3. Encourage blended models that incorporate both online resources and face-to-face counselling.
4. Educate medical professionals in online therapy techniques, design thinking, and digital ethics.
5. Provide funding for thorough trials of digital interventions in India for a range of demographics,including youth, older adults, and rural and urban populations.