Athena: Shifting the narrative from mental health to behavioural health—bringing dignity, empathy, and community to the forefront of care

Imagine a psych ward. Or a mental illness hospital. Chances are, you imagined an atmosphere of complete doom.

You’re not at fault though. The truth is that most hospitals and institutions dealing with mental health do look like what you imagined. 

“In the U.S. rehab centers I managed, patients weren’t seen as ‘mentally ill,’ they were treated with an approach of dignity, collaboration, and community. That’s when I knew India’s mental health care needed a transformation,” Dr Shradha Malik shares in an exclusive interview with Startup Pedia.

The Beginning: From Experience to Purpose

With over 18 years of experience working with Indian and US Healthcare, Dr. Shradha Malik has seen the best in healthcare.

But it was her time in the West that changed her perspective. There, mental health care wasn’t just about treatment—it was about dignity, understanding, and community.

She witnessed firsthand the struggles of mental illness , life took a personal turn. She became a caregiver at home. It wasn’t just a professional concern anymore; it was personal.

Determined to bring change, she began visiting psychiatric hospitals across India. She saw the gaps, the stigma, and the fear that kept people from seeking help. That’s when she knew—India needed a space that felt safe, warm, and welcoming. A place where people felt supported, not judged.

And so, the idea of Athena was born.

"In the West, I saw mental health care built on dignity, not stigma. Back home, I saw the struggle firsthand. That’s when I knew that India needed a change, and Athena was born to make it happen,” Dr. Shradha tells Startup Pedia.

With a clear understanding of the gaps that needed to be addressed, Dr. Shradha Malik set up Athena, a behavioural health and addiction treatment center in Gurugram, in 2021. She bootstrapped the center herself.

One year later, she met Dr Ashish Mittal from AIIMS, Delhi in a CME organized by Athena. He expressed his interest in joining Athena with a common goal. 

“I and my husband , Rohit,  had to go through certain behavioural and addiction issues in our respective homes. We’ve seen loved ones suffering and that kind of bonded us together. I always tell people Athena had started way before we had even thought of its name, Dr. Shradha says.

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WHAT MAKES ATHENA DIFFERENT

Numerous things distinguish Athena, most notably its unwavering stance of empathetic patient care.

The founders have emphasized the importance of a sense of community and belonging in the center. Without it, they believe, patients cannot thrive.

There is complete freedom to roam about, make friends with other patients, and develop friendships. 

“This is the essence of what Athena stands for. We promote a community-like approach in our center and encourage people to be happy and fulfilled while getting treated,” Dr. Shradha says.

Athena’s priority is to make people feel at home at the center. 

A lot of people battling mental illnesses often feel isolated and lose touch with social behaviours. To foster connection and a sense of community, Athena serves meals in a buffet-style setting, encouraging patients to interact and dine together. This encourages individuals to come together, interact with each other, and feel surrounded by positivity.

Athena offers comfortable, home-like bedrooms designed to provide warmth and familiarity, ensuring patients never feel like they are in a hospital. Each room is thoughtfully furnished with all essential amenities for a relaxing and supportive stay.

The behavioural health center has integrated world-class technology to ensure that every patient is attended to at all points of time. Regular progress reports are uploaded and shared with family members diligently – so they do not have to worry about their loved ones.

Athena’s team of licensed therapists and psychiatrists are alumni of prestigious, credible Indian institutions like AIIMS and other government institutes. 

They curate personalized treatment programs for each patient and are heavily involved in the day-to-day progress, relapse, and complete recovery of each individual.

Dr. Shradha, Dr. Ashish, and Rohit have taken accreditations very seriously at Athena. It is, in fact, one of the very few behavioural health centers in India to be accredited by NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers) and also hold Government licenses like the SMHA license and the de-addiction license.

The team helps individuals with a wide range of concerns like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, alcohol addiction, and drug addiction.

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GROWTH & FUTURE

Athena is the pioneer in establishing an all-female behavioural care facility in Gurgaon. 

When Athena started with its first branch, the founders realized that a lot of female patients’ families felt hesitant and even unsafe in admitting their female loved ones to mental health centers that have a mixed-gender setup. 

“In most cases, owing to their trauma and mental illnesses, these women are already extremely vulnerable towards men in general. We knew we had to eliminate this risk to their safety and only an all-female mental health center was the answer,” Dr Shradha explains to Startup Pedia.

Athena’s female center is staffed entirely by women, including guards, doctors, cleaners, and support staff.

Dr. Shradha, Dr. Ashish, and Rohit have set up a total of 4 centers in Delhi NCR. 

In the near future, they have rapid expansion plans of scaling Athena to Guwahati and a 36-acre campus in Muzzafar Nagar. 

Athena has helped 15,000+ individuals across India and eight other countries recover from mental health issues and lead fully functioning lives in the outside world.

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