Despite genuine efforts made under the District Mental Health Programme in Uttar Pradesh, the poor are slipping through the cracks. Launched in 2018, the main initiatives of the DMHP include the opening of mann kakshas across 75 districts of the state, the launch of Tele Manas helpline number and the 'dawa se dua tak' programme. A ground report from Lucknow, Barabanki, Unnao, Kanpur and Gonda reveals that the rural mental health crisis needs urgent attention as more people were found at religious places than at the state-operated mental health counselling centres.
