Paper short abstract:

The paper explores practices of decision-making in India in response to experiences of a social crisis resulting from mental illness

Paper long abstract:

Changes in a person's behavior due to mental problems are often experienced by his or her family and friends as a crisis in social relationships. In the plural medical environment in India, people may draw on an array of ritual and psychiatric institutions of healing and care to alleviate suffering and solve the crisis. In the wake of economic liberalization in India, mental health care emerged as a major discursive concern of the state and NGOs. How do selves and families afflicted with emotional distress or severe mental disorder navigate the various therapeutic possibilities of seeking care? While anthropologists have explored health seeking behavior from various angles, the question of how and if patients and their families exercise choice is rarely considered. This paper explores networks of human and non-human agencies involved in social decision-making processes related to diverse institutional practices of mental health care.