Depression is a significant global health concern. The WHO estimates that around 5% of adults worldwide suffer from depression, translating to approximately 280 million people in 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic likely exacerbated this, potentially increasing global cases significantly. It ranks as a leading cause of disability worldwide, impacting relationships, work, and overall quality of life.  In India, the situation is equally concerning. The National Mental Health Survey (NMHS) 2015-16 found that nearly 15% of Indian adults require active intervention for mental health issues, with about 1 in 20 (5.3% lifetime prevalence, 2.7% current prevalence) experiencing depression. Worryingly, a large treatment gap exists, meaning many individuals who need help don’t receive it. Here in Bangalore, studies reflect this burden. While precise, up-to-the-minute statistics are evolving, past research indicated a prevalence of around 9.1% in the general population. More recent data highlights that Bangalore Urban reports substantially higher numbers of mental health cases, including common mental disorders often linked to depression and anxiety, compared to Bangalore Rural (Source: The soft copy). Specific groups, like medical students in the city, have also shown high rates of depression (33.3% in one study) Source: Journal Grid. This underscores the urgent need for accessible and effective

depression treatment Bangalore.

You might be surprised how much your diet and gut health can affect your mood. There’s a growing field called nutritional psychiatry that highlights the link between what we eat and how we feel. For example, research has shown that about 95% of the body’s serotonin (a key neurotransmitter that stabilizes mood and happiness) is actually produced in the gastrointestinal tract – not just in the brain . This means your digestive system and the microbiome (the trillions of “good” bacteria in your gut) play a significant role in regulating emotions. If your gut isn’t healthy, it can contribute to feelings of anxiety or depression.

At Arka Anugraha, our integrative team includes functional nutrition experts who evaluate your diet, nutrient levels, and digestion as part of your depression care. Many Indians have deficiencies in vitamins or minerals that are crucial for mood – common ones include vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, folate, omega-3 fatty acids, and magnesium. These nutrients are like fuel for your brain. If you’re low on them, you might experience low energy, poor concentration, and low mood. Our doctors might recommend dietary changes rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats – essentially a Mediterranean-style diet – which has been linked to lower rates of depression . We’ll also check for any nutrient deficiencies and correct them, sometimes using intravenous nutrition therapy (vitamin IV drips) for a quick boost if needed. Intravenous (IV) nutrients can be very helpful if someone has trouble absorbing vitamins due to gut issues or needs faster replenishment – for instance, IV omega-3 or B-vitamin infusions might rapidly improve energy and mood in some cases.

Another exciting aspect is microbiome optimization using psychobiotics. Psychobiotics are probiotic foods or supplements (like certain yogurts or probiotic capsules) that have been shown to positively influence mental health by improving gut bacteria balance. By healing your gut – through probiotics, fermented foods, or even targeted treatments for any infections – we can often see improvements in mood and anxiety. It’s amazing to think that adding a cup of curd or kefir to your daily diet, or taking a quality probiotic, might help reduce depressive symptoms by calming inflammation and improving neurotransmitter production in the gut! At our hospital in Bangalore, we incorporate these nutrition-based mental health treatments as a foundation for depression recovery.

In integrative psychiatry, we often use advanced lab tests to get a complete picture of your health. For example, Organic Acids Testing can reveal imbalances in your metabolism, nutrient deficiencies, or toxin levels that ordinary tests might miss. We may discover issues like oxidative stress, abnormal gut yeast overgrowth, or vitamin B deficiencies contributing to your depression. Similarly, heavy metal toxicity testing checks for elements like lead, mercury, or arsenic in your body. Exposure to toxins or heavy metals over time (through polluted air, water, certain paints, etc.) can affect brain function and mood. If we find high levels, we offer treatment for toxins and heavy metals, which might involve gentle detoxification protocols. One of our supportive therapies is the far infrared sauna therapy, which helps in detox by using comfortable heat to make you sweat out impurities. Far infrared sauna sessions not only aid in detoxification but also deeply relax muscles and can improve circulation – many patients find that regular sauna therapy leaves them calmer and sleeping better, which in turn boosts their mood.

By doing this detective work on your biochemistry, our functional medicine for mental health approach makes sure that hidden physical contributors to depression are addressed. It’s quite empowering to know that by simply correcting a thyroid imbalance or removing a toxin, you might lift a huge weight off your mood. We’ve seen patients whose “treatment-resistant” depression improved significantly after addressing something like a severe vitamin D deficiency or treating an underlying medical condition. These are steps often overlooked in standard practice, but integrative care leaves no stone unturned.

One exciting aspect of integrative psychiatry is that we can offer cutting-edge treatments alongside traditional ones. For individuals with moderate to severe depression – especially if it hasn’t improved enough with standard treatments – therapies like TMS and Ketamine Therapy can provide new hope.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) is a state-of-the-art, FDA-approved treatment for depression that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate specific areas of the brain involved in mood regulation . It’s non-invasive (no surgery or anesthesia needed) and painless – you sit comfortably while a coil device delivers gentle magnetic pulses to your scalp. These pulses activate neural circuits in the brain that are underactive in depression, essentially “waking up” those areas.

A typical course of TMS involves daily sessions for a few weeks. Many patients start noticing mood improvements after 2–3 weeks of treatment, with minimal side effects (some people get a mild headache or scalp tingling, but no memory loss or systemic side effects since it’s not a medication). TMS is available at our hospital in Bangalore as part of our integrative approach, especially for treatment-resistant depression or for those who prefer to avoid increasing medications. It’s quite inspiring to see someone who has struggled for years begin to feel better and enjoy life again after a series of TMS sessions – as one patient described, “it felt like a fog finally lifted from my brain.”

Ketamine Therapy is another breakthrough that we offer under careful medical supervision. Ketamine is a medication originally used as an anesthetic, but at low doses it has rapid antidepressant effects. In fact, ketamine can often relieve depressive symptoms within hours or days, whereas standard antidepressants can take weeks. Studies have shown that a single low-dose ketamine infusion can lead to improvement in over 60% of patients with hard-to-treat depression, sometimes as quickly as within 4 hours, with effects lasting up to a week or more .

At Arka Anugraha, our psychiatrists provide ketamine infusions for eligible patients in a safe, controlled environment. During a ketamine session, you relax in a comfortable bed while the medicine is given intravenously over about 40 minutes. Many people describe a gentle dreamlike experience; afterwards, they often report their mood feels “lighter” or that a suicidal urge has diminished. Ketamine can be a game-changer for those in deep despair or those who haven’t responded to other treatments.

It’s not a first-line treatment, but as part of an integrative plan, it can kick-start the healing process, allowing other therapies (like counseling or lifestyle changes) to take root once the intense darkness of depression has lifted a bit. It also helps in improving neuroplasticity.

Beyond TMS and ketamine, our integrative psychiatry service stays up-to-date with emerging precision psychiatry tools. Precision psychiatry means customizing treatment to the individual’s unique biological makeup. For example, we may use genetic testing (pharmacogenomics) to see how you metabolize certain drugs, which helps in choosing the most effective medication with the fewest side effects for you.

We also explore Peptide Therapy – specialized treatments using small protein molecules (peptides) that can influence brain function and growth. Certain peptides might promote better sleep, reduce inflammation in the brain, or support neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to form new connections). These are cutting-edge and tailored to the patient’s needs. Our goal is to leave no avenue unexplored if it might help you feel better.

While we’ve talked a lot about the biological and innovative aspects of integrative care, it’s important to emphasize that emotional support and counseling are still central to depression treatment. At Arka Anugraha Hospital, you will have caring psychiatrists and therapists who take the time to listen to your story.

Sometimes what a person with depression needs most is a non-judgmental space to talk, process feelings, and learn coping skills. We integrate conventional psychotherapy (like cognitive-behavioral therapy or interpersonal therapy) with all the holistic approaches mentioned. In other words, you’re not trading therapy for nutrition or medication for meditation – you’re potentially getting all of it combined in a cohesive plan. This integration is what makes the approach so effective.

For instance, you might have weekly therapy sessions to work through negative thought patterns, at the same time as you are making diet changes and doing TMS. Each piece supports the other: as your energy and brain chemistry improve from the nutritional and medical interventions, you might feel more motivated and focused in therapy, making faster progress.

Our team also emphasizes family involvement and social support where possible. Depression can make people feel very alone. We encourage involving loved ones in the healing process – whether that’s educating your family about what you’re going through or even offering family counseling sessions to improve understanding at home. We also guide patients toward support groups (in Bangalore or online) so you can connect with others who have overcome similar struggles. Knowing that you are not alone and that others have recovered can be incredibly inspiring.