Bioethics and Psychiatry

This book offers a timely, practice-oriented exploration of ethical challenges in psychiatric care within India’s evolving mental health landscape. Positioned at the intersection of psychiatry, bioethics, and public health, this volume provides a focused analysis of community-based mental health delivery, legal frameworks, and culturally nuanced ethical decision-making. Drawing on formative clinical experiences at the Central Institute of Psychiatry, Ranchi, and extensive fieldwork from the community mental healthcare programs in Kerala, the book examines ethical dilemmas in resource-limited settings. It introduces a critical distinction between the institutional “hospital-view” and the “home-view” of ethics, exploring “lived ethics” within the “messy” reality of doorsteps, tea shops, and religious gatherings. Informed by the India’s Mental Healthcare Act (MHCA) 2017, the volume navigates the profound “ruptures” between global human rights ideals and indigenous values. It proposes a framework of Relational Autonomy, reconciling Western concepts of individual agency with the sociocultural reality of Indian familial interdependence and collectivist norms. Structured across five concise chapters, the book addresses foundational bioethical principles, community psychiatry, human rights policy, crisis ethics, and future directions for ethical innovation. It also explores emerging topics such as telepsychiatry, artificial intelligence, and peer support services, making it relevant to contemporary practice and research. This volume is an essential resource for psychiatrists, mental health professionals, policymakers, and researchers seeking to understand and apply ethical principles in Indian psychiatric contexts. It also offers valuable insights for international audiences interested in non-Western approaches to bioethics and disability studies. Combining scholarly rigor with practical relevance, the book supports both clinical application and academic instruction in psychiatry, bioethics, and public health.