The George Institute led landmark study improves adolescent mental health in India’s urban slums

Evidence from India’s first large‑scale urban‑slum study points to a scalable, community‑based mental health solution.

In a significant breakthrough for adolescent mental health in India, The George Institute for Global Health India, has successfully demonstrated a scalable, community based care model through Project ARTEMIS—the country’s first large scale study focused on adolescents living in urban slums—showing measurable reductions in depression, self harm and suicide risk across 60 slum communities in Delhi and Vijayawada.

The "Adolescents' Resilience and Treatment nEeds for Mental Health in Indian Slums" (ARTEMIS) project was implemented by The George Institute for Global Health, India. The study devised a workable strategy to mitigate mental health problems among adolescents living in economically disadvantaged urban communities in India.

The study was implemented across 60 slum communities in New Delhi and Vijayawada and is the first large-scale study in India to evaluate adolescents living in urban slums. It helped in reducing depression, self-harm, and suicide risks among vulnerable adolescents. The ARTEMIS project used a digital mental health care model along with community-based anti-stigma campaigns.

The project reached over 70,000 adolescents through awareness and engagement activities. A total of 3,739 adolescents were enrolled in the study, of whom 47.1% were identified as high-risk for common mental disorders. Approximately 86% of high-risk adolescents enrolled in the intervention group accessed care from trained primary healthcare providers.

This study is urgent and relevant because there are 12 million adolescents in India, and according to UNICEF, 7.3% of young people (18–29 years) face overall mental health issues. Youth from urban slums are particularly vulnerable because they face additional pressures such as poverty, overcrowding, limited awareness and access to mental healthcare, and social barriers.

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The ARTEMIS project brought together youngsters between the ages of ten and nineteen from urban slums in New Delhi and Vijayawada. These youngsters shared their experiences of stress arising from parental pressure, peer relationships, academic stress, gender-based restrictions, and fears about the future.

By:

Dr Sandhya Kanaka Yatirajula

Program Lead – Mental Health, The George Institute for Global Health India

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The ARTEMIS project was a two-pronged approach to overcoming these problems. The first involved the use of locally tailored multimedia campaigns to eliminate the stigma associated with mental disorders. The second approach was to use a digital system to screen adolescents for psychological distress and risks of self-harm and provide treatment to those at high-risk.

By:

Prof. Pallab Maulik

Director of Research, The George Institute India, and the Principal Investigator of the project

After one year of ARTEMIS, the group receiving the intervention showed much better knowledge, attitude and behaviour toward mental health compared to those who did not participate, largely because their increased knowledge helped eliminate social stigma. The mean difference in scores between the intervention and control group was statistically significant at the end of the intervention. Additionally, the intervention group saw a notable decrease in average depression scores while maintaining steady recovery rates. Again, the difference in average depression scores between the intervention and control groups at the end of the intervention was statistically significant. Together, these results underscore how blending community involvement with practical services can transform mental health outcomes in resource-scarce environments.

The study also identified some barriers, including stigma, parental hesitation, distance to healthcare centres, and scheduling challenges due to school timing. Despite these constraints, the model proved to be feasible and acceptable within community settings.

The Co-Primary Investigator in this study was Professor Graham Thornicroft from King’s College London. Other coinvestigators were from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi; the University of New South Wales, Sydney; the University of Toronto; Dr. A.V. Baliga Memorial Trust; University of Hyderabad and Young Lives India.

Here is the link to the study published in JAMA Psychiatry.