Publications by authors named "Swaran Singh"

Sensor-based data collection of human behaviour (digital phenotyping) enables real-time monitoring of behavioural and physiological markers. This emerging approach offers immense potential to transform mental health research and care by identifying early signs of symptom exacerbation, supporting personalised interventions, and enhancing our understanding of daily lived experiences. However, despite its promise, technical and user-experience challenges limit its effectiveness.

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Background: Long-Acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics prevent relapse in patients with unreliable adherence to oral antipsychotics. Non-engagement with treatment is associated with relapse and involuntary admission. Financial incentives have been shown to increase engagement with LAI antipsychotics among those at highest risk of relapse.

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Identifying young service users whose depressive symptoms persist into adulthood is crucial to avert potential difficulties they may face when transitioning from Child and Adolescent Mental Healthcare Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Healthcare Services (AMHS). As depressive symptoms are diverse in severity and stability, it is important to objectively identify those who require continued support. A clinical cohort of 763 young people from eight European countries, reaching the upper age limit of their CAMHS, was studied to identify trajectories of self-reported depressive problems (ASEBA Youth Self-Report and Adult Self-Report) over a 24-month follow-up period, as well as associated risk factors for persistent depression and service use, using growth mixture modeling.

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Background: Psychotic disorders are more prevalent among minority ethnic groups in the UK. However, there is no research on how the British Sikh community understands and seeks help for psychosis. The way in which a community understands the nature, causes and treatment of psychosis can impact their duration of untreated psychosis, treatment pathways, experience and engagement with mental health services, and outcomes.

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Background: Digital phenotyping (DP), the process of using data from digital devices, such as smartphones and wearable technology to understand and monitor people's behavior, health, and daily activities, has shown significant promise in mental health care within high-income countries. However, its application in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is limited, particularly among impoverished populations such as slum residents.

Objectives: This study investigates the awareness, knowledge, acceptance, and implementation of DP, including willingness to share data, and concerns regarding privacy and data security, among residents of Dhaka's Korail slum, one of Bangladesh's largest and most densely populated informal settlements.

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Background: Relatives/friends (carers) of people who are involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric hospital report high levels of stress, feelings of isolation and exclusion from their patient's care. One-to-one peer support is widely implemented for patients, facilitating mental health recovery. Preliminary evidence reports that peer support may benefit carers too, but a one-to-one peer support programme to help carers when their relatives/friends are in hospital has not been developed.

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Traditional faith healers (TFHs) are often consulted for serious mental illness (SMIs) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Involvement of TFHs in mental healthcare could provide an opportunity for early identification and intervention to reduce the mental health treatment gap in LMICs. The aim of this study was to identify models of collaboration between TFHs and biomedical professionals, determine the outcomes of these collaborative models and identify any mechanisms (i.

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Modern management has much to learn from ancient wisdoms. Management structures based on corporate trends were transferred from business to services such as healthcare to promote cost-efficiency and productivity. In this article, I argue that the short-term approach of corporate leaders being brought into healthcare for 'transformation' has led to a trail of service dismemberment with no discernible clinical gain for those we seek to serve.

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Background: Treatment resistance (TR) in schizophrenia may be defined by the persistence of positive and/or negative symptoms despite adequate treatment. Whilst previous investigations have focused on positive symptoms, negative symptoms are highly prevalent, impactful, and difficult to treat. In the current study we aimed to develop easily employable prediction models to predict TR in positive and negative symptom domains from first episode psychosis (FEP).

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Background And Hypothesis: Young people (YP) with psychotic experiences (PE) have an increased risk of developing a psychiatric disorder. Therefore, knowledge on continuity of care from child and adolescent (CAMHS) to adult mental health services (AMHS) in relation to PE is important. Here, we investigated whether the self-reported trajectories of persistent PE were associated with likelihood of transition to AMHS and mental health outcomes.

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Purpose: Experiences of young people transitioning from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) to Adult Mental Health Services (AMHS) have mostly been investigated qualitatively. This study adapts and validates the On Your Own Feet - Transition Experiences Scale (OYOF-TES) in a sample of CAMHS users in Europe and describes young people's and parents' experiences with transition and end of care at CAMHS.

Methods: The OYOF-TES was adapted to a mental health setting and translated.

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Many youths with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) experience significant long-term impairment and may develop concurrent mental and somatic health difficulties as adults. This is associated with burden and costs for the individual and society which could be prevented through continued support in youth. Yet, only few young people transition to adult mental health services for ongoing care in different countries worldwide.

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Background: The onset of psychosis brings unfamiliar experiences that can be disturbing for patients and their caregivers. Few studies from India (only one from North India) have examined these experiences from the perspective of the patient and caregiver. We explored experiences of first episode psychosis (FEP) patients and their caregivers within a North Indian context.

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Background: Home-based psychosocial care has the potential to improving outcomes in patients with schizophrenia and related disorders (SCZ). There is lack of India data for such care in early psychosis. We developed the "Saksham" programme, a bespoke self-managed home-based psychosocial care model, available in two formats: manual-based and mobile-application based.

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Introduction: Unlike high-income countries (HICs), there are few early intervention services for psychosis in low-and middle-income countries (LAMICs). In HICs, research spurred the growth of such services. Little is known about the state of EIP research in LAMICs, which we address by examining their research output and collaborations vis-à-vis that of HICs.

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Background: Psychosocial interventions, crucial for recovery in patients with schizophrenia, have often been developed and tested in high income countries. We aimed at developing and validating home-based a booklet based psycho-social intervention with inputs from stakeholders: patients, families, and mental health professionals (MHP) for patients with schizophrenia and related disorders in low resource settings.

Methods: We developed a preliminary version of psychosocial intervention booklets based on six themes derived from focus group discussions conducted with patients, families, and MHP.

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Background: Standard assessment and management protocols exist for first episode psychosis (FEP) in high income countries. Due to cultural and resource differences, these need to be modified for application in low-and middle-income countries.

Aims: To assess the applicability of standard assessment and management protocols across two cohorts of FEP patients in North and South India by examining trajectories of psychopathology, functioning, quality of life and family burden in both.

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Background: Improving mental health literacy (MHL) can reduce stigma towards mental illness, decreasing delays in help-seeking for mental disorders such as psychosis. We aimed to develop and assess the impact of an interactive MHL intervention on stigma related mental health knowledge and behaviour (SRMHKB) among youth in two urban colleges in South India.

Methods: Incorporating input from stakeholders (students, teachers, and mental health professionals), we developed a mental health literacy module to address SRMHKB.

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Background: The economic burden of psychotic disorders is not well documented in LMICs like India, due to several bottlenecks present in Indian healthcare system like lack of adequate resources, low budget for mental health services and inequity in accessibility of treatment. Hence, a large proportion of health expenditure is paid out of pocket by the households.

Objective: To evaluate the direct and indirect costs incurred by patients with First Episode Psychosis and their families in a North Indian setting.

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Background: Physical exercise can improve outcomes for people with first-episode psychosis (FEP). Co-designing physical exercise interventions with end users has the potential to enhance their acceptability, feasibility, and long-term viability. This study's objective was to use experience-based co-design (EBCD) methodology to develop a physical exercise intervention for FEP, and pilot test it.

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