ABSTRACT
Background: The prevalence of mental health problems and substance use disorders is high in prisons. There is a need to develop effective and sustainable models in prison to address their mental health demands. Aim: The study aimed to develop and validate a peer support programme (PSP) for prisoners with common mental and substance use disorders (SUD). Method: The PSP was developed by reviewing the literature and expert interviews and validated by seven experts. Result: The expert interview brought out a total of 10 themes. The final components included in the content of the peer support interventions were information about mental health issues, identification of the cases, basic counseling skills, psycho-education, early warning signs and symptoms, managing substance use by motivational interviewing, and suicidal gatekeeping. Conclusion: This study describes the development of a comprehensive PSP, and it needs to be tested to examine its feasibility and effectiveness in addressing mental health problems in prison settings.
ABSTRACT
Purpose of the Review: The prevalence of mental and substance use disorders is three to five times higher than that of the general population. Psychosocial interventions are effective in identifying and managing mental health and substance use disorders. This article aims to review the randomized control studies which have used nonpharmacological interventions alone or in combination with pharmacological interventions for managing mental and substance use disorders in prison/correctional settings. Collection and Analysis of Data: Studies included were randomized control trials and pilot randomized studies that assessed the impact of psychosocial interventions for prisoners with mental disorders and substance use disorders. A comprehensive search for articles was done by the primary author (Sreekanth Nair Thekkumkara) in the following databases: PubMed, ProQuest, PsychArticles, and Google Scholar (search engine), for the period June 1, 2000, to December 31, 2020. Results and Conclusions: The 21 studies included in the review had a sample size of 34 to 759. The settings of all the interventions were the prison and different types of psychosocial interventions were provided across the studies. The average duration of intervention ranged between 10 min and 120 min with the frequency of one to six sessions per week for 1 to 36 months. All the 21 Randomized Control Trials (RCTs) were nonIndian studies. Overall, the results of the included studies showed significant improvement postintervention (motivational intervention, interpersonal therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, positive psychology intervention, music therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy) on primary outcome measures such as symptom severity of depression, anxiety, and substance abuse prisoners. Positive effects were observed on secondary outcome measures such as motivation, aggression, follow up rates, and recidivism. A limited number of studies have focused on evaluating psychosocial interventions in prison settings. Most of the interventions were tested in prisoners with substance use disorder alone or in those with dual diagnoses and in high-income countries.
ABSTRACT
Studies have reported that persons with developmental disabilities have the lowest rate of labor force participation, relative to other disabilities due to various factors. This paper presents two cases studies of persons with ID who were successfully provided a hybrid supported employment approach of 'train and place model' and 'place and train model' by the Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services (PRS) team. Conducted a retrospective file review highlighting the process of supported employment approach adapted for persons with ID. The ethical approval was obtained from the Institute Ethical Committee. The hybrid supported employment approach focuses on enhancing client's vocational potential and skills, prepare for job ready, find a suitable job placement. Further, the approach helped in improving the sense of independence self-esteem and quality of life of the clients. A hybrid supported employment approach could be an effective method in aiding persons with developmental disabilities in India seek, get, and keep jobs; it will also help them deal with unique challenges they face in the workplace as well as loss of or gaps in employment. Involvement of families in the intervention will help minimize negative expressed emotions and distress.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A community participation initiative of stitching personal protective equipment (PPE), masks, and face shields for healthcare professionals working in the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted using a case study design. METHODS: The hospital tailoring unit was used to cater to the in-house demand for stitching safety gear kits for healthcare professionals. A transect walk was conducted to survey hospitals for selecting material for stitching the safety gears and to draw up a plan to meet future demand. The psychiatric social worker induced a community participatory initiative using the method of social work of community organization. A flyer was prepared to invite participants with prior experience in tailoring for this initiative. All participants were trained by the master trainers of the tailoring unit. The participants were also interviewed about their views on this initiative in an informal interview. RESULTS: A total of 83 participants, including 26 individuals (8 volunteers and 18 who received an honorarium), 2 boutiques (n = 12), and 1 government organization, participated in the activity (n = 45). A total of 1700 complete PPE kits and 13,000 masks were stitched during this period. The participants reported that the benefit of being a part of this initiative was reduced boredom, sense of purpose and satisfaction, and improved mental health due to structured activity. CONCLUSIONS: A community participation initiative using the principles of community organization, a method of social work, can help produce desired outputs and improve the well-being of the participants.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: In India, people live in a collective society wherein family members are the primary caregivers for the person suffering from mental illness (PMI). Psychiatric rehabilitative models are individual-centric, focusing on individual level skills (emotional, social, self-management and vocational) and development to enhance successful community reintegration. If the entire family is considered to be a unit for rehabilitation, i.e. family centric rehabilitation, the possibility of empowering the family to function effectively is higher despite the illness. The objective of the case study is to conceptualize the framework 'Family centric Rehabilitation'. METHODS: Case study design. RESULTS: Family centric rehabilitation can be conceptualized as 'a process that facilitates families, dysfunctional due to PMI, to reach their optimal level of independent functioning by harnessing resources available within the community'. Family centric rehabilitation focuses on enhancing global functioning of the "family unit", in essence all members, rather than just the PMI. Strategies deployed include concurrently addressing and minimizing anticipated challenges across domains including medical, psychosocial, vocational as well as economic, thereby aiding in recovery of the family unit as a whole. CONCLUSIONS: Family centric rehabilitation is an important culture specific concept that aims to provide optimal level of functioning of all family members and can contribute to the family achieving self-sustenance, a sense of autonomy and empowerment.
