AN INTEGRATIVE REVIEW OF AYURVEDIC APPROACHES TO MENTAL DISORDERS: CLASSICAL WISDOM AND MODERN PERSPECTIVES

Abstract

Mental health disorders constitute a growing global public health challenge, prompting increasing interest in holistic and integrative care models. Ayurveda, the traditional system of medicine of India, offers a comprehensive framework for understanding psychological well-being through the concepts of Manas (mind), triguṇa (Sattva, Rajas, Tamas), and their interaction with somatic Doṣas. This narrative review synthesizes classical Ayurvedic concepts of mental wellness, psychiatric taxonomy, and therapeutic modalities, and examines their relevance within contemporary integrative psychiatry. Classical treatises including Charaka Saṃhitā, Suśruta Saṃhitā, and Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya were reviewed alongside peer-reviewed literature identified through structured searches of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar, AYUSH Research Portal, and DHARA (2020–2025). Ayurveda conceptualizes mental health as a dynamic equilibrium characterized by predominance of Sattva and regulation of Rajas and Tamas. Detailed descriptions of psychiatric entities such as Unmāda, Apasmāra, Chittodvega, and Atattvābhiniveśa reflect sophisticated nosological insight. Therapeutic approaches—including Sattvavajaya Cikitsā, Medhya Rasāyana, Pañcakarma, Yoga, and structured lifestyle disciplines—demonstrate a biopsychosocial and preventive orientation. Emerging evidence suggests that selected Ayurvedic botanicals (e.g., Bacopa monnieri, Withania somnifera), Yoga-based practices, and integrative therapeutic modalities exhibit neuroprotective and anxiolytic effects; however, rigorous interdisciplinary research is required to support evidence-informed integration into global mental healthcare.