Tuberculosis and Mental Health:The Interface

In the era of the Sustainable Development Goals and the ambitious End TB Strategy, it is vital to recognize that only the microbiological cure of tuberculosis (TB) will not be adequate for bringing this public health adversity under control, let alone its eradication. Mental disorder which is an important risk factor as well as a ramification of TB, very often escapes attention during deliberations and discourses on TB. Mental illness in its various forms contributes significantly to the global burden of death and disability. The comorbid conditions of TB and mental health add to the challenges that already prevail in the management of each. This study tries to look into the inter-linkage between TB and mental health by exploring existing literature and identifying the pathways through which each becomes a fuelling factor for the other. Designing of policy to effectively address each of these health conditions within the conceptual as well as technical and operational framework for dealing with the other is the need of the hour.