Thane Psychiatric Hospital Reunites Over 2,200 Patients With Families, Breaking Stigma Around Mental Illness

The state-run Thane Regional Psychiatric Hospital has treated 2,384 patients with mental illness and facilitated their rehabilitation over the past year, officials said on Thursday. Between January 2025 and January this year, 2,257 patients were reunited with their families after sustained counselling sessions with relatives who were initially reluctant or apprehensive about taking them back, they said. The hospital authorities said social stigma and misconceptions surrounding mental illness often make reintegration a major challenge. “The home environment is safer and more accepting for a patient than a hospital. Yet, in reality, many families hesitate to accept them due to fear and social pressure,” an official said.

In 44 cases, the hospital traced the native villages and families of patients who had either been abandoned or had lost contact over the years. For 34 long-term inmates who no longer remembered their way home, doctors and staff escorted them to ensure their safe return.

For 49 patients with no surviving relatives or support system, the hospital arranged admission to rehabilitation centres, where they were provided vocational training and skill development to help them become self-reliant, the official said.

Hospital Superintendent Dr Netaji Mulik said the institution goes beyond clinical treatment.

“Mental patients are not just ‘cases' for us; they are people. If we combine medicines with love and trust, patients can stand on their own feet again. When a patient recovers and returns home, it is a moment of pride and satisfaction for us,” he said.

The hospital has also focused on vocational training and confidence-building measures to ensure patients live with self-respect after discharge, he said. 

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