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. 2024 Oct 4:12:1446606.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1446606. eCollection 2024.

Perceptions of primary healthcare providers for screening and management of mental health disorders in India: a qualitative study

Ramesh Kumar Sangwan  1 , Darshana Kansara  1 , Santosh Matoria  1 , Haider Ali  1 , Mukti Khetan  1 , Vishal Singh  1 , Mahendra Thakor  1 , Ramesh Kumar Huda  1 , Bontha V Babu  1
Affiliations

Perceptions of primary healthcare providers for screening and management of mental health disorders in India: a qualitative study

Ramesh Kumar Sangwan et al. Front Public Health. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Introduction: Individuals experiencing mental health disorders encounter numerous challenges while accessing mental healthcare services. Despite the inclusion of mental health in the primary healthcare system, screening and managing mental health disorders remain significantly overlooked. Therefore, there is a need to understand the perceptions of healthcare providers in primary care settings, identify the challenges faced, and gather suggestions for effective mental healthcare delivery.

Methods: The present qualitative study was conducted in 13 primary healthcare facilities in the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, India, from 2023 to 2024 among 25 primary healthcare providers. Semi-structured interview guides were developed for each category of primary healthcare provider, including Medical Officers, Community Health Officers, and General Nurse Midwives, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives and in-depth interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed using codes and sub-codes.

Results: Results are summarized under the themes: (i) Navigating Mental Healthcare in Primary Healthcare Facilities, (ii) Challenges and Barriers in Mental Healthcare Delivery, (iii) Recommendation for Enhancing Mental Healthcare Services, and (iv) Approaches for Comprehensive Capacity Building Training and Module and further findings of each theme are presented under various sub-themes.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that despite a perceived competence in providing mental health services, there were substantial levels of negative attitudes towards mental health disorders among participants and provide insights for policymakers and healthcare professionals to develop targeted interventions and improve mental healthcare delivery at primary care facilities.

Keywords: challenges; mental health; perceptions; primary healthcare; training.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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