Mental Health Programme in India: Has the tide really turned?

Mental disorders in India form a major public health concern and the efforts to tackle these dates back to four decades, by way of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) and its operational arm, the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP). Although the progress of NMHP (and DMHP) was relatively slower till recently, the last 4-5 years have seen rapid strides with several initiatives, including (i) expansion of DMHPs to 90 per cent of the total districts of the country, (ii) the National Mental Health Policy and (iii) strengthening the Mental Health Legislation by way of providing explicit provisions for rights of persons with mental illnesses. Among others, factors responsible for this accelerated growth include the easily accessible digital technology as well as judicial activism. Federal and State cooperation is another notable feature of this expansion. In this review, the authors summarize the available information on the evolution of implementation and research aspects related to India's NMHP over the years and provide a case for the positive turn of events witnessed in the recent years. However, the authors caution that these are still baby steps and much more remains to be done.

Impact of Technology Driven Mental Health Task-shifting for Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs): Results from a Randomised Controlled Trial of Two Methods of Training.

Mental health task shifting is a potential way to address the burgeoning treatment gap for mental illness. Easily available and accessible digital technology can be utilised to continuously engage grassroot level health workers (for example, Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs). However, the impact of such a strategy is not yet systematically evaluated. In this randomised controlled trial, longitudinal hybrid training of ASHAs [1 day in-person classroom training and seven online sessions (ECHO model), aimed to screen and refer to commonly prevalent mental health issues in communities] was compared with traditional one-day in-person classroom training. ASHAs (n = 75) from six Primary Health Centres in Ramanagara district, Karnataka, India were randomized into study (SG-ASHAs) and control (CG-ASHAs) groups. After excluding drop-outs, 26 ASHAs in each group were included in the final analysis of the scores on their Knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) in mental health. Two house-to-house surveys were conducted by both groups to identify and refer possible cases. The number of screen positives (potential persons with mental illnesses) and the KAP scores formed the outcome measures. Online sessions for SG-ASHAs were completed over 18 months, the COVID-19 pandemic being the main disruptor. SG-ASHAs identified significantly higher number of persons with potential alcohol use disorders [n = 873 (83%); p ≤ 0.001] and common mental disorders [n = 96(4%); p = 0.018], while CG-ASHAs identified significantly higher number of those with potential severe mental disorders [n = 61(61.61%); p ≤ 0.001]. As regards KAP, after controlling for baseline scores, the time effect in RMANOVA favoured SG-ASHAs. Mean total KAP score increased from 16.76 to18.57 (p < 0·01) in SG-ASHAs and from 18.65 to 18.84 (p = 0.76) in CG-ASHAs. However, the Time-group interaction effect did not favour either (F = 0.105; p = 0.748). Compared to traditional training, mentoring ASHAs for extended periods is more impactful. Easily accessible digital technology makes the latter feasible. Scaling up such initiatives carry the potential to considerably improve treatment access for those in need.

The rationale and guiding principles to design a psychiatry curriculum for primary care doctors of India.

Background Integrating psychiatric care into the general practice of primary care doctors (PCDs) is necessary to overcome the shortage of human resources to cater to the burgeoning public mental health needs of India. The traditional psychiatry curriculum is often top-down and specialist-based that contributes little in terms of skill quotient. We designed an innovative, digitally driven, distance education-based, part-time, modular-based Primary Care Psychiatry Programme (PCPP, skill-based). It is being implemented across many states of India to equip PCDs with skills to provide first-line psychiatry treatment. We discuss the rationale and guiding principles behind designing the curriculum of PCPP. Discussion There are nine guiding principles behind designing and implementing PCPP to provide pragmatic, acceptable, feasible modules of higher translational quotient (TQ) that are essential to upskill PCDs. There is a shift in training the location of PCDs in their live brief general consultations utilizing innovative telemedicine-based 'on-consultation training' (OCT) augmented with collaborative video consultations. A monolithic treatment protocol-driven, trans-diagnostic approach is used to design a concise, all-inone, point-of-care manual containing a culturally sensitive, rapid, validated screener and taxonomy, called 'Clinical Schedules for Primary Care Psychiatry'. This incorporates the PCDs' style of clinical practice that helps in picking up the most commonly prevalent adult psychiatric disorders presenting to primary care. Conclusion This PCPP curriculum contains pragmatic modules with higher TQ. This curriculum is dynamic as the learning is bi-directional. This can be used by policy-makers, innovators and academia for integration with national health programmes such as those for non-communicable diseases and reproductive and child health.

Video consultations with "Paper and Pen" health record: A path-breaking solution to troubleshoot acceptability of telemedicine practice in developing countries.

Telemedicine is the delivery of health care from a distance. It also includes research and evaluation of such services using health data which are stored in "Electronic Health Record" (EHR) platforms. EHR has proved to be useful in monitoring health care delivery but setting up of such platforms is tedious and resource-consuming in developing countries. With the recent surge of telemedicine utility during the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine has emerged to be pivotal in reaching stranded patients needing care without EHR-based practice. The practice of patient health record (PHR)-based teleconsultations in India has demonstrated how a conventional "paper and pen" method can be combined to popularise telemedicine utility. Thus, use of PHR-based system to maintain health records would prove to be a pragmatic solution for physicians in low-resource settings to improve their reach to a larger population in need for the future.

Video consultations from an Indian academic hospital: First 3 years of experience from telepsychiatric after-care clinic.

Background Continuity of care for psychiatric disorders by conventional in-person consultation by psychiatrists is associated with several challenges. There is a need to develop alternative models of specialist care. We studied our 3 years' experience of live video consultations (VCs) from the tele after-care clinic to patients with psychiatric disorders at an Indian academic hospital. Methods We did a file review of 669 VCs provided to 213 patients in the first 3 years (2017-2019) from the telemedicine centre of a tertiary care academic hospital. We analysed details of sociodemography, clinical profile, tele after-care consultations and outcome. Results Two hundred and thirteen patients (55% men) were enrolled for the tele after-care clinic. The mean (SD) age of the patients was 42.2 (17.29) years and a majority were educated till high school and beyond. Patients with severe and common mental disorders constituted 60.1% and 40%, respectively. Among the total 669 appointments, 542 (81%) VCs were successfully provided; of the remaining, 125 were cancelled and 2 were aborted due to a medical emergency. Medication prescriptions were unchanged in 499 and modified/totally changed in 47 VCs. Conclusion Our large study shows that telepsychiatric after-care is a useful alternative method which can supplement in-person follow-up. Barriers such as distance, cost and medical illness can be overcome using tele after-care clinics for regular follow-ups in stabilized psychiatric patients. There is a need for prospective studies, preferably, randomized controlled trials comparing effectiveness of tele after-care with in-person consultations to assess treatment outcomes.

Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and Her Role in District Mental Health Program: Learnings from the COVID 19 Pandemic.

COVID 19 pandemic has posed challenges for public mental healthcare delivery, particularly in LAMI countries such as India. However, this unique situation has also brought in opportunities to revisit the health system and optimally utilize the available resources. In this brief report, we report one such new initiative in which existing community health workers (CHWs), known as ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activist) acted as a bridge between patients with mental illness and the District Mental Health Program (DMHP) of Ramanagara district of Karnataka State, India. They maintained continuity of care of 76 patients by delivering mental healthcare services to the patients' doorstep. This has paved the way to rethink and revisit their role in public mental healthcare delivery not only during COVID 19 times, but also beyond.

Embracing Technology for Capacity Building in Mental Health: New Path, Newer Challenges.

Technology driven capacity building initiatives are the way to break the barrier of shortage of mental health human resources in India. This new path, while is a welcome step, comes with its own set of challenges. In one prototypic project that is being implemented in Ramanagara District of Karnataka, a south Indian state, we encountered many such issues. They ranged from issues related to availability of dedicated space to set up the hub-studio, inconsistent internet connectivity (particularly in remote areas) and inadequate digital literacy among the grassroot community health workers who hail from villages. This article summarises these challenges and ends by looking into ways and means of overcoming them.

Identification of Psychiatric Disorders by Rural Grass-Root Health Workers: Case Series & Implications for the National Mental Health Program of India.

Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANMs) and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) are well suited to cater to the mental health needs of the communities. Integrating primary mental health care into the general healthcare is one of the important objectives of the District Mental Health Program (DMHP) to reduce the treatment gap. As a part of an ICMR funded trial to evaluate the effectiveness of NIMHANS-ECHO blended training program, the ASHAs and ANMs were trained to identify and refer cases from the community. We aim to describe a series of cases identified by those workers from the community, highlighting their importance in our health care system.

Impact Evaluation of Technology Driven Mental Health Capacity Building in Bihar, India.

Task-shifting is an important means to address the barrier of inadequate specialist human resources for mental health in countries such as India. This paper aims to report the impact of one such task-shifting initiative. Twenty-two non-specialist Medical Officers of Bihar, an eastern Indian state were engaged in a ten-month long hybrid (a 15-days onsite orientation to psychiatry and periodic online mentoring in primary care psychiatry) training program to enable them to identify commonly presenting psychiatric disorders in their respective clinics. 20 online sessions (hub and spoke ECHO model) occurred over the next 10 months. Apart from didactic topics, 75 cases covering severe mental disorders, common mental disorders and substance use disorders were discussed (case presentations by the primary care doctors (PCDs)) and moderated by a specialist psychiatrist and clinical psychologist). 12 successive self-reported monthly reports (comprising of the number and nature of psychiatric cases seen by the trainee PCDs) were analyzed. The mean (SD) number of sessions attended was 9 (8.0) and median was 13 (Range: 0-20). Mean number of cases (per PCD) discussed was 3.4 (3.4) (Median: 4; Range: 0-10). Total 20,909 patients were cared for in the 12 months after initiation of the training program. Increasingly, a greater number of patients were cared for as the training progressed. This pattern was mainly driven by more identifications of severe mental disorders (SMDs), common mental disorders (CMDs), dementias and substance use disorders. Mean (SD) number of patients seen per month before and after training was 1340.33 (86.73) and 1876.44 (236.51) (t = - 3.5, p < 0.05) respectively. A hybrid model of training PCDs is feasible and can be effective in identification of persons with psychiatric disorders in the community. Prospective, well designed studies are essential to demonstrate the effectiveness of this model.

Long-term Outcomes of Intensive Inpatient Care for Severe, Resistant Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Résultats à long terme de soins intensifs à des patients hospitalisés pour un trouble obsessionnel-compulsif grave et résistant.

OBJECTIVE: A substantial proportion of severely ill patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) do not respond to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) and are unable to practice cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) on an out-patient basis. We report the short-term (at discharge) and long-term (up to 2 years) outcome of a multimodal inpatient treatment program that included therapist-assisted intensive CBT with adjunctive pharmacotherapy for severely ill OCD patients who are often resistant to SRIs and are either unresponsive or unable to practice outpatient CBT. METHODS: A total of 420 patients, admitted between January 2012 and December 2017 were eligible for the analysis. They were evaluated using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (YBOCS), and the Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scale. All patients received 4 to 5 therapist-assisted CBT sessions per week along with standard pharmacotherapy. Naturalistic follow-up information at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months were recorded. RESULTS: At baseline, patients were mostly severely ill (YBOCS = 29.9 ± 4.5) and nonresponsive to ≥2 SRIs (83%). Mean duration of inpatient stay was 42.7 ± 25.3 days. At discharge, there was a significant decline in the mean YBOCS score (29.9 ± 4.5 vs. 18.1 ± 7.7, P < .001, Cohen's d = 1.64); 211/420 (50%) were responders (≥35% YBOCS reduction and CGI-I≤2) and an additional 86/420 (21%) were partial responders (25% to 35% YBOCS reduction and CGI-I≤3). Using latent class growth modeling of the follow-up data, 4 distinct classes were identified, which include "remitters" (14.5%), "responders" (36.5%), "minimal responders" (34.7%), and "nonresponders" (14.6%). Shorter duration of illness, better insight, and lesser contamination/washing symptoms predicted better response in both short- and long-term follow-up. CONCLUSION: Intensive, inpatient-based care for OCD may be an effective option for patients with severe OCD and should be considered routinely in those who do not respond with outpatient treatment.

A study of collaborative telepsychiatric consultations for a rehabilitation centre managed by a primary healthcare centre.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: : Telepsychiatric methods can be used for the purpose of providing clinical care comparable to in-person treatment in various settings including rehabilitation. Previous evidence has shown that clinical outcomes for both are comparable. In view of challenges posed in the implementation of traditional psychiatric care in India, telepsychiatry offers an avenue to provide feasible, affordable and clinically useful psychiatric services. This study was conducted to examine the utility, feasibility and clinical effectiveness of providing collaborative telepsychiatric services with a primary care doctor for inpatients in a rehabilitation centre through a telepsychiatrist of estabilished psychiatry department in a tertiary care centre in south India in a collaborative care model with a primary care doctor. METHODS: : Patients at the rehabilitation centre attached to an urban primary healthcare centre received collaborative care using telepsychiatry for a period from January 2013 to December 2016. A retrospective review of their charts was performed and sociodemographic, clinical and treatment details were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: : The sample population (n=132) consisted of 75 per cent males, with a mean age of 43.8 ± 12.1 yr. Each patient received an average of 7.8 ± 4.9 live video-consultations. Initially, an antipsychotic was prescribed for 84.1 per cent (n=111) of patients. Fifty four patients (40.9%) had a partial response and 26 (19.7%) patients showed a good response. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: : The study sample represented the population of homeless persons with mental illness who are often brought to the rehabilitation centre. This study results demonstrated the successful implementation of inpatients collaborative telepsychiatry care model for assessment, follow up, investigation and treatment of patients through teleconsultation.

Indian novice nurses' perceptions of their role in caring for women who have experienced intimate partner violence.

BACKGROUND: intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant health problem and a gross violation of the human rights of women. Nurses play an important role in providing support for these women. There is limited research on nurses' understanding and perceptions of their role in caring for women with IPV issues in India. AIM: to assess novice nurses' perceptions of self-efficacy, educational preparedness and their role in this area. METHODS: this was a cross-sectional descriptive survey carried out among a convenience sample of novice nurses (n=83) at a tertiary care centre using self-reported questionnaires. RESULTS: a majority of the subjects were confident and had adequate knowledge in dealing with women who have experienced IPV. A significantly positive relationship was found between educational preparedness and self-efficacy and attitudes towards nurses' roles in caring for these women. CONCLUSION: novice nurses were confident and held positive attitudes towards women who experienced IPV. Yet their self-efficacy in caring for these patients could be improved through continuing education and there is an urgent need to integrate comprehensive training on IPV to improve clinical competencies, including how to refer women for further support.

Aripiprazole augmentation in highly treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder - experience from a specialty clinic in India.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effectiveness and tolerability of aripiprazole augmentation in patients with highly treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in a real-world scenario. METHODS: We conducted a chart review of patients who were initiated on aripiprazole augmentation at a specialty OCD clinic in India between 2004 and 2014. Primary outcome measure was all-cause discontinuation. RESULTS: 23 patients were eligible for analysis. Patients had not achieved symptom remission despite a mean of over 3 prior SRI trials. Aripiprazole was continued to be used in seven patients (30%) at the time of last follow-up. Thirteen patients (57%) discontinued the drug due to side effects, and three patients (13%) discontinued aripiprazole citing no improvement. Six patients (26%) were noted to have ≥25% reduction on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale. CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated, in a real-world setting, that aripiprazole may be a useful augmenting agent in a proportion of patients with highly treatment-resistant OCD. However, side effects may lead to premature discontinuation in many of them.

Bipolar disorder comorbidity in patients with a primary diagnosis of OCD.

OBJECTIVE: Bipolar disorder (BD) is considered to be a common comorbid condition in subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but there is limited literature on the prevalence of BD and its clinical correlates in those with a primary diagnosis of OCD. METHODS: We studied the prevalence of BD in a sample of consecutively registered outpatients attending a specialty OCD clinic in India over a period of 13 months. One hundred and seventy-one patients with a primary diagnosis of OCD were assessed systematically using structured and semi-structured instruments. RESULTS: The prevalence of lifetime BD in OCD was 4%. The OCD + BD group had an episodic course of OCD and higher rate of lifetime suicide attempts. CONCLUSIONS: BD may not be as highly prevalent in OCD as reported in literature. Those with OCD seem to have only a marginally higher risk for developing BD than the general population. A diagnosis of BD seems to have a pathoplastic effect on the course of OCD. Patients with OCD-BD comorbidity have to be specifically assessed for suicide risk.

Effectiveness of Risperidone Augmentation in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Experience From a Specialty Clinic in India.

Risperidone is the most widely used augmenting agent in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, a recent controlled study found risperidone to be no different from placebo, raising doubts about its effectiveness. In this context, we sought to examine the real-world effectiveness of risperidone from the large database of an OCD clinic in India. A total of 1314 consecutive patients who registered at the OCD clinic between 2004 and 2014 were evaluated with structured interviews and scales. Patients with OCD initiated on risperidone augmentation without concurrent cognitive behavior therapy and who were on stable and adequate doses of serotonin reuptake inhibitors for at least 12 preceding weeks were included for analysis. The primary outcome measure was all-cause discontinuation. Logistic regression was performed to identify the factors predicting improvement with risperidone augmentation. A total of 92 patients were eligible for analysis. Risperidone continued to be used in 23 patients (25%) at the time of last follow-up, and the remaining discontinued either because of ineffectiveness or intolerability. The fall in the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale scores was significantly greater in patients who continued to take risperidone when compared with those who did not (41.6% vs 3.7%, t = 6.95, P < 0.001). A total of 22 patients (24%) were noted to have at least a 25% reduction on the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale scores. On regression analysis, no predictors of improvement with risperidone augmentation could be identified. The study demonstrated, in a real-world setting, that risperidone may be a useful augmenting agent in a proportion of patients with partial/poor response to serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

Knowledge, attitude and behaviour of the general population towards organ donation: An Indian perspective.

BACKGROUND: The rate of organ donation in India is low and research on organ donation among the general population is limited. We assessed the knowledge, attitude and willingness to donate organs among the general population. METHODS: We carried out a cross-sectional descriptive study among 193 randomly selected relatives of patients (not of those seeking organ donation) attending the outpatient department at a tertiary care centre. We used a structured questionnaire to collect data through face-to-face interviews. RESULTS: We found that 52.8% of the participants had adequate knowledge and 67% had a positive attitude towards organ donation. While 181 (93.8%) participants were aware of and 147 (76.2%) supported organ donation, only 120 (62.2%) were willing to donate organs after death. Further, there were significant associations between age, gender, education, economic status and background of the participants with their intention to donate organs. CONCLUSION: Our study advocates for public education programmes to increase awareness among the general population about the legislation related to organ donation.

Gender Differences Related to Attitudes Toward Suicide and Suicidal Behavior.

This descriptive study examined gender differences related to attitudes toward suicide among randomly selected urban residents. Data was collected using a standardized questionnaire through face-to-face interview. Our findings revealed that men hold more pro preventive attitudes to help persons with suicidal thoughts (80.3 %, p = 0.05) and agreed that suicidal attempts are impulsive (78.6 %, p = 0.01). However, they hold permissive attitude to help persons with incurable diseases and expressing death wishes to die (66 %, p = 0.05). A majority of men (78.6 %) than women agreed that "suicidal attempt is essentially a cry for help" (χ (2) = 11.798, p = 0.05). These gender differences need to be taken into consideration when developing appropriate programs to prevent suicide. Further, decriminalizing the law, high-quality research and raising awareness about suicide prevention among the general population is crucial in developing countries like India.

Nursing students' knowledge of child abuse and neglect in India.

BACKGROUND: Child abuse and neglect are global phenomena. Research on knowledge of and attitudes towards child abuse and neglect among nursing students in India is limited. AIM: To investigate undergraduate nursing students' knowledge of and attitudes towards child abuse and neglect. METHODS: A descriptive design was adopted for the study, in which 158 nursing students participated by responding to a standardised questionnaire. RESULTS: The findings revealed that students' knowledge of child abuse and neglect is inadequate, as the total mean (M) score was 13.84±4.35 (M±standard deviation (SD)). The total attitude score of 50.37±6.196 (M±SD) indicated participants' positive attitudes towards prevention of child abuse and neglect. However, there was a negative relation between age and attitudes towards and knowledge of child abuse. Older students scored higher on the total attitude and knowledge scale compared with younger students. CONCLUSION: The study findings support the hypothesis that nursing education programmes need to improve the curricular content related to the assessment and reporting of suspected child abuse and neglect, and prevention strategies to improve the wellbeing of children. Curricular changes have the potential to provide nurses with an opportunity to reduce the prevalence of child abuse and neglect in India.