Ayurveda’s Perspective on Healing Mental Illness

The United States is within the midst of a mental health crisis. A report conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), a division of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HSS), found that 18.1% or 1 out of 5 adults in the United States was affected by any mental illness (AMI) with the last year.1 Approximately 1 in 25, or 4.3%, of adults in the U.S. experienced severe mental illness, defined by the report as “any mental, behavioral, or emotional disorder that substantially interfered with or limited one or more major life activities.”2 Additionally, the survey found 11.4% of adolescents aged 12 – 17 had experienced a major depressive episode (MDE) within the last year.3