‘A bucket in the ocean’: Justice transitions and the emancipatory potential of establishing mental health care in Nepal

This study investigates the perceptions of health workers in Nepal’s mental health sector regarding their experiences related to emancipation and justice. The research highlights the mental health gap in general, and that specifically faced by children and adolescents in Nepal. Factors contributing to this gap include a shortage of mental health professionals, societal stigma, and limited awareness of mental health challenges. Through 18 semi-structured, in-depth interviews and two focus group discussions conducted between 2022 and 2023, the study captures the insights of various professionals, including psychiatrists, nurses, and representatives of organizations, about their roles in fostering change within Nepal’s mental healthcare landscape. The findings illustrate how these individuals navigate their engagement in a still-evolving field, reflecting on their motivations, challenges, and the relational dynamics at play. We apply an emancipatory and justice framework by interlinking the four stages of emancipation with three dimensions of justice, namely the distributive, procedural, and recognitive. The research elucidates the interconnectedness of individual experiences with broader structural forces, emphasizing how health workers strive for equity and recognition of mental health in a context marked by social inequalities. The research recognizes the pioneering work of these practitioners, and contributes to providing a nuanced understanding of the transformative potential of mental health workers and their ongoing struggles for justice within the sector.