New Delhi: In a significant step towards addressing the growing mental health needs of India’s ageing population, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) has launched a DM (super-speciality) course in Geriatric Mental Health.
The programme will run from the 2025-26 academic session, making IHBAS one of the few centres in the country-and only the third-to offer advanced training in this field, after King George’s Medical University (KGMU) and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS).
Officials said two students have already joined the course, marking the start of the programme at the institute.
The move signals a major upgrade in services, with IHBAS setting up a dedicated Department of Geriatric Mental Health, shifting from a limited outpatient model to a full-fledged system for specialised care, teaching and research.
The department builds on a geriatric mental health OPD that has been running twice a week since April 2022, now expanded into a structured department offering both outpatient and inpatient care.
Officials said the initiative comes at a critical time, as mental health conditions among the elderly are rising but often go unnoticed. Dementia, depression, anxiety, sleep disorders and behavioural problems are increasingly seen in older adults, frequently alongside chronic illnesses, yet remain underdiagnosed.
Experts noted that elderly mental health requires continuous, multidisciplinary care, involving psychiatry, neurology and family support systems. “These are not isolated conditions. They affect daily functioning and place a significant burden on caregivers,” he said.
To strengthen services, the department plans to introduce specialised clinics, including a Memory Clinic for dementia and cognitive decline, and a Behavioural and Caregiver Support Clinic to assist families in managing patients.
According to officials, the new DM programme will help build a trained workforce, addressing a critical shortage of specialists in geriatric mental health in India. He added that the department will also focus on advanced training, research and integrated care, aimed at improving early diagnosis and long-term management.
With India’s elderly population growing rapidly, experts warned that the burden of mental health disorders in later life is set to rise sharply, making such specialised services essential.
The initiative marks a shift from fragmented care to a dedicated, structured approach to elderly mental health, bringing a long-neglected area into sharper focus.
