"And now I know how you feel . . .": Lived experience of surviving mental illness as a prosumer.

In this article, through a reflexive account, I present the ways the sudden onset of clinical depression in my own life brought me closer to the vulnerabilities (due to stigma around mental illness) as well as opportunities to contribute to the mental health of my clients as a prosumer. In delineating this process, I have also highlighted how my role as an active qualitative researcher of homeless mentally ill people in India during the episode of my clinical depression helped me reaffirm my identity as a therapist or an "enabler" who could empathize with and create a humanizing therapeutic space for my clients as well as research participants. I thus underscore the value of interdisciplinary perspectives on mental health that invites reflexive learning (often through empathy) about the context and experience of distress or empowerment rather than only symptoms and its treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Stakeholders facilitating hope and empowerment amidst social suffering: A qualitative documentary analysis exploring lives of homeless women with mental illness.

BACKGROUND: Globally homeless mentally ill (HMI) individuals are considered one of the most vulnerable populations. An individual-centric, psychopathology-oriented focus of the existing mental health-care system limits the understanding of the HMI individuals through the disability lens overlooking their strengths and resilience that enable them to survive extremely hostile environments. Contemporary mental health research has embraced a paradigm shift that allows researchers to look beyond the predominant medical model to give precedence to a socio-culturally contexted and experientially firm understanding of human behaviour. AIM: Through the theoretical lens of social suffering, this article attempts to understand the lived experiences of the HMI women, the perspective of their caregivers and the standpoint of service providers in the context of homelessness and mental illness. METHODOLOGY: A documentary analysis as a qualitative research methodology has been used to reflect upon the concerns mentioned above. Following Figueroa's approach to the analysis of audio-visual texts, the documentary Lapata Zindagi, directed by Radhika Lata Murthy, has woven the stories of four HMI women and their caregivers have been analysed. The two-phased analysis involved constructivist grounded theory procedures. RESULTS: The methodological steps, rigour and the resulting categories (experience of social suffering associated with homelessness among HMI women, denial of care and rights within patriarchy, helplessness associated with the burden of caregiving and roles of NGO and community in building hope and empowerment) have been discussed through the lens of social suffering and how stakeholders might facilitate hope and empowerment amidst it. CONCLUSION: The article highlights the dire and urgent need to integrate mental health into primary health care and community-based intervention and move beyond clinical recovery to nurture 'hope' to enable recovery and empowerment for such marginalised populations.

Social Injustice in the Neoliberal Pandemic Era for Homeless Persons With Mental Illness: A Qualitative Inquiry From India.

The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has presented an unprecedented challenge globally. It is much bigger than a bio-medical concern now with the multitudes of socio-economic, socio-political, socio-cultural, and psycho-social impact, which are likely to outlast the pandemic itself by far and long. The pandemic and the resulting challenges across societies highlighted the existing social injustices in a neoliberal world for historically marginalized populations like homeless persons with mental illness (HPMI). The nationwide lockdown in India to resist the spread of the virus posed a unique challenge to this vulnerable population. The present study thus attempts to understand the experience of HPMI during the COVID-19 induced lockdown through the theoretical framework of social justice vis-à-vis injustice. Semi-structured interviews have been conducted on seven HPMI rehabilitated in the community through an NGO situated in Kolkata, India. Seven stakeholders have also been interviewed to understand their experience in providing services to the HPMI during the COVID-19 induced lockdown. Analyses of the narratives have been done using initial coding, focused coding and axial coding through the process of constant comparison of constructivist grounded theory (CGT) methodology. Critical insights from the study bring out experiences of HPMI during COVID-19 as a victim of structural violence, highlighting their exclusion and victimization due to the existing marginalized status, living closer to the edge as a consequence of the lockdown, lack of awareness of the gravity of the pandemic situation. The experiences of the stakeholders, on the other hand, pointed out the role of community members and social workers in partially mitigating the challenges. This study indicates that to mitigate the aftermaths, stakeholders, including community members, need to work together for rebuilding and enhancing the strength and resilience of the marginalized populations like HPMI, who are historically victims of social injustice in the neoliberal pandemic era.

"Pandemonium of the pandemic": Impact of COVID-19 in India, focus on mental health.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a global health threat, with every nation facing unique challenges during the outbreak. Such pandemics are much beyond biological phenomena. They have psychosocial and economic implications that might long outlast the infection itself. India recently crossed 50,000 cases and is undergoing a historic nationwide lockdown in an attempt to control the outbreak. Considering the sociocultural diversity, limited public health resources, increasing psychological comorbidities, and substantial number of vulnerable populations (e.g., homeless, migrants), the subcontinent is facing unprecedented challenges at all fronts. This commentary glances at the COVID-19 scenario in India through the psychosocial lens, highlights the strategies so far, and discusses the recommended ways ahead. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).