Barriers and Facilitators for Translating Skills into Clinical Practice in Primary Psychiatry Care: Primary Care Doctors' Survey Through the Lens of Implementation Research.

Background: Though integrating psychiatric care into primary care is thought to be a pivotal step, a huge gap remains in translating this training into clinical practice at primary health centers (PHCs) in India. To address this, we aim to explore the perspectives of the primary care doctors (PCDs) from an implementation research angle.

Methods: An anonymous online survey with a semi-structured questionnaire gathered PCDs' perspectives on integrating primary care psychiatry training into India's healthcare system, focusing on Acceptability, Adoption, Appropriateness, and Feasibility subsets based on the conceptual framework for implementation outcomes.

A Pan India Digitally Driven Capacity Building Program to Strengthen Primary Mental Healthcare: Summary of Its Implementation and Performance Evaluation.

Background: India has made significant strides in digital mental health capacity building over the past decade. This pan-India initiative was implemented through National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) to enhance the delivery of primary mental healthcare by digitally training medical officers (MOs), community health officers (CHOs), and field-level workers (FLWs) of India.

Methods: Between October 2022 and June 2024, the program engaged MOs, CHOs, and FLWs of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Goa, Kerala, and West Bengal in a standardized six-week-district-wise digital training module curated to identify and manage commonly prevalent psychiatric disorders in primary care settings.

Assessing Training Gaps in the Diploma in Primary Care Psychiatry Program for Primary Care Doctors: A Post-Hoc Analysis.

ObjectiveIndia faces a critical shortage of mental health professionals, leaving primary care physicians (PCPs) as the primary point of contact for many individuals needing psychiatric care. The Diploma in Primary Care Psychiatry Program (DPCP), a one-year training initiative, aims to equip PCPs in India to manage psychiatric conditions in underserved areas. On-Consultation Training (OCT) is a module in the DPCP designed exclusively for practicing PCPs where a psychiatrist trains PCPs in live video streaming of their own real-time general consultations of primary health centres.

Understanding the Contours of a Successful Digitally Driven Capacity Building Program for Primary Care Doctors: A Mixed Method Study from a High-performing District of Southern India.

Background: Amid a pan-India digitally driven mental health capacity-building program carried out through National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) from April 2022 to November 2024, one district stood out, consistently outperforming others across most outcome measures. This study delves into the successful elements of this high-performing model district in South India to uncover the key factors behind its success.

Methods: In November-December 2023, 69 primary care doctors (PCDs) from Udupi district participated in a six-week digital mental health training.

Trainers' Perspectives Towards Digital Mental Health Training for Primary Care Providers: Insights from Focused Group Discussion.

Background: In resource-limited primary care settings, Digital Mental Health Training (DMHT) programs have emerged as scalable solutions to bridge the mental health care gap. It is essential to consider the views and perspectives of trainers, as they play a crucial role in implementing these programs.

Methods: This qualitative study was conducted within the "Mutistate Digital Mental Health Capacity Building Program for Primary Healthcare" and explored the perspectives of 15 trainers from various professional backgrounds regarding DMHT via a Focus Group Discussion (FGDs).

Care at doorsteps for psychiatric disorders by the community volunteers (CAD-CV): Volunteers training and impact assessment.

Background: Mental illness is a leading cause of disability worldwide. As it is a chronic illness, proper follow-up and treatment is necessary to improve the quality of life of individuals. Lack of human resources in mental health services is the primary barrier to reach out to the needy.

Technology-driven innovative model for integrating mental healthcare into primary care: Example from Chhattisgarh, India.

Introduction: Despite the expansion of India's National Mental Health Program and the District Mental Health Program (DMHP), Chhattisgarh continues to face a significant shortage of specialist mental health professionals. To address this gap, two hybrid task-shifting initiatives-Chhattisgarh Community Mental Health Care Tele-Mentoring Program (CHaMP) and Tele-mentoring for Rural Health Organisers of Chhattisgarh (TORENT)-were launched. This paper describes these programs and evaluates their preliminary impact.

Mental health apps in India: regulatory landscape and future directions.

Mental health apps (MHAs) are increasingly popular in India due to rising mental health awareness and app accessibility. Despite their benefits, like mood tracking, sleep tools and virtual therapy, MHAs lack regulatory oversight. India's framework, including the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and Medical Device Rules 2017, does not cover standalone health apps, raising concerns about data privacy and accuracy.

The child and adolescent patient's profiles and usefulness of instant collaborative video consultations of tele-psychiatrists with primary care doctors.

Background: The Tele-Medicine Center at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, organized module-based capacity-building training courses for in-service primary care doctors (PCDs) with MBBS degree. The objective was to bolster the coverage of the National Mental Health Program services and diminish the treatment gap in the region. As part of this training, an instant collaborative video consultation (i-CVC) module allowed PCDs to engage in live, real-time video consultations with tele-psychiatrists at NIMHANS to discuss their patients' cases.

Mental health for the indigenous population in Chhattisgarh, India: Navigating challenges and crafting solutions.

Introduction: The ST population, residing in isolated, underdeveloped areas, faces significant health disparities compared to non-tribal communities. In particular, the lack of mental health infrastructure in these regions exacerbates their health challenges. Tribal communities possess distinct cultural beliefs surrounding health and illness, yet scant information exists regarding their physical and mental well-being.

Digitally Driven Short- and Intermediate-term Courses of Primary Care Psychiatry for Doctors: A Theme-based Analysis and Performance Audit.

Background: The National Mental Health Survey of India 2015-2016 identified a substantial treatment gap in mental healthcare, emphasizing the urgent need for improved training of primary care doctors (PCDs) in managing psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of three digitally delivered primary care psychiatry courses offered by the department of psychiatry in a tertiary neuropsychiatric center: the Certificate Course in Primary Mental Healthcare (CCPMH), the Diploma in Community Mental Health (DCMH), and the Diploma in Primary Care Psychiatry (DPCP).

Methods: Based on the board of studies documents, including curriculum, delivery methods, accreditation criteria, and outcomes, a comparative and thematic analysis of the courses was conducted.

Designing and Implementing the Psychiatrist-led Personalized Mentorship Programs: The Role and Impact of Live Consultation-driven Training Methods.

Background: Clinical training in traditional medical education often needs more translational value, especially for in-service MBBS doctors working in primary health centers (PHCs), who provide first-line treatment for psychiatric disorders. To address this gap, a psychiatrist-led personalized mentorship program incorporating three live consultation-driven training (CDT) methods was developed to integrate psychiatric care into PHCs.

Methods: The authors designed and implemented a personalized mentorship program using three CDT methods tailored for in-service MBBS doctors.

Translational Quotient as an Innovative Outcome Parameter to Assess the Effectiveness of Training Methods: A Feasibility Study in Assessing the Baseline Psychiatric Skills of Primary Care Doctors in their Real-world Live Outpatient Clinic.

Background: The effectiveness of training methods in medical education is critical, particularly for primary care physicians (PCPs) who frequently encounter psychiatric issues in their practice. Traditional assessment methods often fail to evaluate skill acquisition in real-world clinical practice. The Translational Quotient (TQ) is proposed as an innovative outcome measure to assess PCPs' ability to apply psychiatric skills in their live outpatient consultation among their general patients.

Proxy consultations for severe mental illnesses: An exploratory cross-sectional study from a tertiary care hospital.

Background: Non-adherence to medication leading to a break in continuity of care poses significant challenges in severe mental illness (SMI), leading to poor outcomes. In India, proxy consultation, wherein caregivers consult on behalf of patients, is a commonly adopted but insufficiently researched area to address these challenges.

Aims: To explore the extent of proxy consultation in outpatient care of persons with SMI and investigate its sociodemographic and clinical correlates.