The mental healthcare system in Kerala’s government hospitals seems to be in the grip of a crisis because of a reported shortage of psychiatric social workers, who play a crucial role in the psycho-social rehabilitation of patients.

Psychiatric social workers are mental health professionals who provide therapy, manage cases, and ensure rehabilitation of people with mental disorders. They have postgraduate degrees in social work (MSW) and an MPhil degree in psychiatric social work from a University Grants Commission-recognised university. Their job is significant in bridging the gap between mental health treatment and the patient’s social background. Apart from the evaluation of the patient’s mental health condition, they also get involved in medical diagnosis, psycho-social therapy, and psycho-social rehabilitation.

According to official sources, eight of the 15 approved posts under the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) are vacant. Three of the four posts attached to the Directorate of Medical Education are unfilled too. Between 2021 and 2025, only four vacancies were reported to the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) for recruitment. The sources say that there are no temporary arrangements to fill the vacancies at present. There are no valid rank lists under the PSC as well.

Meanwhile, the State government is yet to make changes to the qualification criteria of psychiatric social workers in line with the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, as directed by the Kerala Administrative Tribunal, 2021. The PSC’s recruitment process has been stalled because the changed qualification criteria have not been officially notified.

K.V. Binumon, a psychiatric social worker who works with the State government’s ‘Vimukthi’ de-addiction project, claims that these mental health professionals are facing salary disparity too. “Along with psychiatrists and clinical psychologists, our role is equally important in the mental healthcare system. Despite having a two-year MPhil degree equivalent to that of clinical psychologists, we face wage discrimination. The primary reason for this disparity is the unscientific qualification criteria set by the PSC. At present, the rules allow candidates with a basic MSW, or even an MSc in Psychology or Sociology, to apply for the post. Because of this anomaly, highly qualified professionals holding an MPhil in Psychiatric Social Work, employed on a permanent or contract basis in the DHS and DME, are unjustly forced to work for a much lower salary than that of clinical psychologists,” he says.