Workplace support is a basic need for women fighting schizophrenia

For people with schizophrenia, the ability to pursue employment and be financially stable provides a measure of autonomy.

"I'm a little pissed off at how much airtime depression and anxiety get in the public sphere, especially among the elite. But the moment you say you have delusions or hallucinations, people get scared. You become an object to be managed, somehow," academic Ananya Biswas* told IndiaSpend in January 2021.

Biswas, 38, is among 3.5 million Indians who live with schizophrenia, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD), 2019. Nearly 200 million Indians had mental health disorders, according to GBD 2019. Of these, 1.75% live with schizophrenia and around 45% had depressive or anxiety disorders, reflecting the over-representation