Beyond One Size Fits All: Toward an Integrative Framework Combining Psychiatry and Ayurveda in Psychosexual Health
Aashish Patel, Vaishnavi G Kulkarni, Varsha G KulkarniBackground:
Sexual health research has conventionally relied on broad narratives that group diverse populations into large categories. This strategy, however, neglects vital distinctions in psychosexual outcomes, particularly with respect to factors such as gender, sexuality, caste, class, and experiences of trauma. In Indian psychiatry, employing Western-derived universal models carries the risk of scientific inaccuracy and clinical deficiency.
Aims:
This viewpoint critically examines the limitations of generalized approaches in psychosexual medicine and advocates for a transition toward individualized, intersectional, and culturally informed frameworks suited to the Indian context.
Approach:
The article integrates findings from global sexual health research, intersectionality theory, Ayurvedic concepts, and Indian psychiatric investigations to illustrate the aggregation problem in significant areas such as sexual violence and LGBTQ+ mental health, while emphasizing India’s distinct sociocultural landscape. The article adopts a conceptual and interdisciplinary perspective to propose a more individualized, culturally responsive, and structurally informed framework for psychosexual health in Indian psychiatry.
Discussion:
Standardized approaches often obscure significant differences and disregard the psychosexual complexities experienced by transgender, non-binary, and bisexual individuals. In India, these gaps are exacerbated by factors such as caste hierarchies, class inequalities, and religious diversity. Additionally, an overemphasis on risk reduction and pathology neglects crucial dimensions of well-being, including pleasure, agency, and relational satisfaction.
Conclusions:
The future of psychosexual medicine in India necessitates a reorientation of research, training, and practice through methodological pluralism, integration of structural competency in clinical training, and a conceptual shift from disease prevention to sexual flourishing. By embracing complexity and moving beyond population averages, Indian psychiatry can lead in developing ethical, more precise, and effective care that honors the dignity of patients.