Background: Mental illnesses are commonly linked with a higher disability and burden of disease, than many physical illnesses. The World Health Organization noted that one in every four people are affected by a mental disorder at some stage of life.Six neuropsychiatry conditions, unipolar depressive disorders, alcohol use disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder, Alzheimer’s, and other dementias, as also migraine, have figured in the top 20 causes of disability in the world.It is estimated that at any point in time, in India, 2–5% of the population is suffering from serious mental illnesses, while another 10% of the population is suffering with minor mental illnesses. Aims& Objectives :To understand the pathway of care adopted by psychiatric patients.To understand the factors associating with delayed mental care. To examine the association between sociodemographics and help-seeking pattern. Methods: All patients(n=100) reporting to the psychiatry outpatient department for the first time in Sri Venkateshwaraa Medical College Hospital and Research Centre, Ariyur, Pondicherry recruited in the study. Data collection was based on a convenient - sampling method. A written informed consent was taken. All patient was assessed in detail and the diagnosis was made, after complete history and examination, based on the ICD 10 criteria. Results: The majority of the patients (45%) were suffering from Bipolar affective disorders (45%), followed by schizophrenia (36%). The majority, 203 (68%), were from the rural area, with 94 patients being illiterate. The majority of these (69%) had first contacted faith healers and a qualified psychiatrist was the first contacted person for only 9.2% of the patients. Conclusion: A large proportion of psychiatric patients do not attend any health facility due to a lack of awareness about treatment services, the distance, and due to the fear of the stigma associated with treatment. The psychiatric patients first seek the help of various sources prior to attending a psychiatric health facility. The pathway adopted by these patients need to be kept in mind at the time of preparation of the mental health program.