Farmer's mental health and well-being: Qualitative findings on protective factors.

Objectives: Agriculture is associated with various physical and mental health risks. There has been growing concern about the psychological hazards associated with farming including high stress levels, depression, anxiety, and increasing rates of suicide. To bolster resilience and overall survival within the farmers, it is imperative to gain a comprehensive understanding of the protective factors that contribute to mental and psychological well-being. Materials and Methods: The study followed an explorative research design and used purposive sampling to select samples from Chikkaballapur District in Karnataka. Nine farmers were interviewed based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. The interview schedule was prepared based on the literature review. Experts in the field did content and face validation. The transcribed data were coded using the free version of QDA Miner. The thematic analysis approach was used for data analysis. Results: Three broader themes and 15 sub-themes emerged: (1) Personal protective factors: feeling of autonomy, purpose in life, passion for work, problem-solving skills, positive mindset and building resilience, learning new skills, and spiritual and religious beliefs; (2) social protective factors: friends and peer group, belongingness, family, and social engagements; and (3) environmental protective factors: lifestyle and being physically active, rural environment, government/institutional support, and recognition in the society. Conclusion: The study successfully emerged three overarching protective factors that farmers perceived as significant for their mental health and well-being, entitled personal, social, and environmental. The study findings provide valuable insights for social work practitioners, guiding them in developing interventions and strategies to support the mental health and well-being of the farming population.

Psychological distress and quality of community life among migratory construction workers in India.

Objectives: The objectives of this study are to elicit sociodemographic details, assess the level of psychological distress, and measure the quality of community life (QoCL) of migratory construction workers. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional research design and survey method of sampling was followed. The semi-structured interview schedule, self-reporting questionnaire, and QoCL scale were used as measures for the study. Results: Out of 75 respondents, 37 (49.3%) did not have formal education, 38 (50.7%) have migrated for less than a month duration, 33 (44.0%) respondents migrated with their families. The mean age of respondents was 32.03 ± 9.82 years. About 48 (64.0%) were identified as potential respondents for psychosocial care and female respondents (M = 12.90 ± 4.03, t = -3.03, P < 0.003) have higher distress than males (M = 9.50 ± 4.56, t = -3.03, P < 0.003) ones. Overall, QoCL indicated a below moderate (59.08 ± 8.31) level. Conclusion: The distress was high and QoCL indicated a below moderate level. Intersectoral and community mental health services were required to enhance QoCL and reduce distress among migratory construction workers.

Development of a Supported Education Program for Students with Severe Mental Disorders in India.

BACKGROUND: The onset of severe mental disorders (SMDs) is during adolescence or young adulthood, which affects the well-being and the educational aspirations of the students. Models of supported education practiced in the West are not culturally suitable for Indian students or the Indian education system. This study aimed to develop a Supported Education Program (SEP) for students with SMDs to help them with academic reintegration in an Indian context. METHODS AND MATERIAL: To develop the SEP, a realist review was done, followed by an in-depth interview with eight mental health professionals (MHP) and nine lecturers, using a validated interview script. After each interview, interim analysis and modifications were done to improve the rigor of the interview. After all interviews, the SEP was circulated for a second round of iteration for consensual validation by four mental health experts. The outcome of the entire process was the final version of SEP for students with SMDs. RESULTS: The final SEP had two broad themes and 18 subthemes from the qualitative thematic analysis: theme 1 included issues and strategies relevant to the client or caregivers, and theme 2 was pertinent to the education system. CONCLUSION: The SEP developed and validated for people with SMDs has distinctive components: one for the individual and caregiver and the other for the educational system.

Barriers to academic reintegration in students with severe mental disorders: Thematic analysis.

BACKGROUND: Education provides a platform to persons to integrate into society for their livelihood. In countries like India, higher education is accorded a significant place in society and is an important pre-requisite for most professional and skilled occupations. However there are a number of illness related and psychosocial barriers to attaining educational goals, especially for persons with Severe Mental Disorders (SMDs'). The purpose of this qualitative study is to understand the bio-psychosocial barriers of students with severe mental disorders to academic reintegration. METHODS: Qualitative in-depth interviews were conducted with Mental Health Professionals (MHP's) (n = 8), Lecturers (n = 9) and Students with SMD's (n = 14). The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and coded into themes and sub-themes separately for each group manually. Triangulation of the themes derived data collected from the three groups were subject to thematic content analysis. RESULTS: A total of five barriers (themes) to academic reintegration were derived from triangulated data: 1. Illness and its treatment-related barriers, 2. Individual related barriers, 3. Family-related barriers, 4. Academic-related barriers and 5. Social barriers. CONCLUSION: It is important for mental health professionals and researcher in the field to understand the above barriers in order to plan and implement supported education programmes effectively and enable the students to attain their post-secondary educational goals.