Copyright: ©Author(s) 2026. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license. No commercial re-use. See permissions. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc.
World J Psychiatry. Apr 19, 2026; 16(4): 110197
Published online Apr 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i4.110197
Published online Apr 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.v16.i4.110197
Emerging need for addressing trauma and enhancing psychosocial support among witch-hunt survivors in India
Alagarsami A R, Department of Psychiatric Social Work, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru 560029, Karnātaka, India
Prasad Kannekanti, Department of Psychiatry, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow 226003, Uttar Pradesh, India
Author contributions: A R A and Kannekanti P conceptualized the review; A R A initially conducted the literature search and wrote the initial manuscript; Kannekanti P critically synthesized, edited, coordinated and communicated with the journal editor, and structured the manuscript. Both authors reviewed and approved the final version of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Prasad Kannekanti, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry, King George’s Medical University, Chowk, Lucknow 226003, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Received: June 9, 2025
Revised: July 21, 2025
Accepted: January 12, 2026
Published online: April 19, 2026
Processing time: 297 Days and 8.6 Hours
Revised: July 21, 2025
Accepted: January 12, 2026
Published online: April 19, 2026
Processing time: 297 Days and 8.6 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Witch-hunting persists in some regions of India, and the mental health of survivors needs to be addressed. There are multiple reasons behind witch-hunting. It would be challenging to tackle everything, as various stakeholders are involved, but survivors' mental health needs can be addressed with appropriate interventions. These mental health interventions can be helpful in survivors' well-being and their successful reintegration into a better community livelihood.