Knowledge of and Attitudes Towards Mental Illness Among ASHA and Anganwadi Workers in Vadodara District, Gujarat State, India

Shah, Qainat N.; Dave, Pooja; Loh, Daniella; Appasani, Raghu; Katz, Craig L.

doi:10.1007/s11126-019-9625-8

Cited by 14 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Some ASHA workers had never heard of mental illness. This is consistent with the literature, which shows low mental health literacy among ASHAs [1,2,24,26].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…Despite their signi cant gains in mental health knowledge, ASHA workers failed to understand the complex etiology of mental illness, often identifying the co-morbid medical condition as the only cause. Previous studies have also shown that ASHA workers rarely identi ed genetics, trauma, or brain disease as causes of mental illness [1,26]. Many ASHAs believed that CMD is always a transient condition, and that treating the co-morbid medical condition and "not worrying" were quick xes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Perceptions of Asha Workers in the Hope Collaborative Care Mental Health Intervention in Rural South India: A Qualitative Analysis

Bansal

Sriniva

2020

Preprint

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Background:Common mental disorders are responsible for a heavy disease burden in India and are often highly co-morbid with non-communicable diseases like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, which are increasing in prevalence across India as well. There is a severe lack of mental health resources in India, particularly in rural areas. Rural health care is often dependent on ASHA workers (Accredited Social Health Activists), high school-educated village women trained as community health workers. ASHA workers have been effectively involved in a variety of interventions, including a handful targeting mental illness, but perspectives of ASHA workers have been greatly overlooked.Methods:One-on-one qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 ASHA workers, all of whom completed the parent HOPE study, a collaborative-care randomized controlled trial that aims to integrate mental health care into existing primary care systems in rural Karnataka. The 15 ASHA workers in this substudy were asked questions about their role in HOPE, as well as their perspectives on patient health, mental illness, and the HOPE study.Results:ASHA workers mostly had positive interactions with patients, including encouraging them to attend sessions, helping to explain the topics and techniques, and checking in on the patients frequently. Occasionally ASHAs had negative relationships with patients. ASHA workers were able to identify key barriers to treatment and facilitators to treatment. ASHAs claimed that their knowledge about mental illness improved because of the HOPE study, though some gaps remained in their understanding of mental illness etiology and treatment. Overall, ASHA workers viewed the HOPE study as a necessary and effective intervention, and requested that it continue and expand.Conclusions: ASHA workers are important in establishing and maintaining relationships with patients that encourage attendance and participation, and the efforts of ASHAs often help in mitigating common barriers to treatment. Our results show that the beliefs and knowledge of ASHA workers can be changed in regards to mental illness, and ASHAs can become effective advocates for patients. The perspectives of ASHA workers need to be understood in order to understand the complexities of a rural health system that relies on their work, and most effectively help patients.

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“…Some ASHA workers had never heard of mental illness. This is consistent with the literature, which shows low mental health literacy among ASHAs [1,2,24,26].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceptions of Asha Workers in the Hope Collaborative Care Mental Health Intervention in Rural South India: A Qualitative Analysis

Bansal

Sriniva

2020

Preprint

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“…Similar findings were reported from a study in Gujarat State, India, wherein ASHAs and Anganwadi workers were found to perceive persons with mental illness to be 'dangerous, unpredictable, hard to talk with, and having a lower IQ'. [ 10 ] In a similar vein, community health workers in Karnataka State, India, were reported to perceive depression and psychosis as indicating personal weakness, and persons with these illnesses as being erratic and dangerous. [ 11 ]…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health orientation among ASHAs

Kapanee

Meena

Nattala

et al. 2021

Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care

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Introduction: The high mental health treatment gap in India, necessitates mental health service delivery through the primary health care system. Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) as frontline community health workers are a key member of the primary health care team. The ASHAs training needs related to mental health, require to be determined in order to accordingly tailor capacity-building programs. In this context, the present study aims to examine the ASHAs mental health orientation utilizing a factorially validated Indian tool. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 91 ASHAs from a taluk of Bengaluru Urban District, responded to the self-administered Orientation towards Mental Illness (OMI) scale. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics viz. frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations. Results: The ASHAs reported an overall unfavourable mental health orientation and the specific OMI factors on which unfavourable orientation was observed were Psychosocial stress, Non-restrained behaviour, Weak cognitive control, Fidgety behaviour, Bizarre behaviour, Psychosocial manipulation, and Hypo-functioning. Conclusion: The findings of the study suggest that capacity-building programs for ASHAs will need to first examine their orientation to mental health and collaboratively address an unfavourable orientation when present, as it would have a bearing on ASHAs mental health service delivery in the community.

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“…It has been emphasized that contact-based training and providing mental health care would reduce mental health stigma among providers. [ 19 ] Strengthening the view and attitudes of CLWs towards mental health through training would be a necessary step in integrating them into India’s mental health care services. [ 10 ] Recently, Government of India, under the AYUSHMAN BHARAT Mission, is planning to provide Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) through Health and Wellness Centers by involving Mid-level Health Providers (MLHP) in the community.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Intervention-based mental health training for community level workers in India –A systematic review

Elangovan

Paramasivam

Amudhan

et al. 2022

Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care

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Community-level workers (CLWs) are frontline workers who function as mediators between the government and the community. They effectively and efficiently distribute government policies and welfare schemes directly to the public, especially health aspects. They play a vital role in primary care access and quality. Many recent studies demonstrate that physical health training of CLWs is indeed effective and increases access to services. However, there are no recent reviews that systematically understand the training of CLWs concerning mental health interventions, and reviews on CLW’s understanding about mental health issues and implementation at the community level is inadequate. CLWs are underutilized in aspects of mental health interventions despite having more potential for the same. They are the ones who need to know much about mental health issues and treatment availabilities. To understand this gap, a systematic review on training on mental health interventions to the CLWs in India, the method and content of mental health training in such studies was done. Our systematic search following the PRISMA guidelines included eight studies that met the eligibility criteria. The review of the studies that satisfied inclusion criteria suggests that training on mental health interventions with CLWs sounds effective. The researcher also provides recommendations to strengthen the CLWs mental health knowledge and discusses implications of mental health interventions through trained CLWs for the community. Based on the review findings, the researcher recommends ideas about how CLWs can be utilized accordingly in mental health aspects during the current pandemic.

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Knowledge of and Attitudes Towards Mental Illness Among ASHA and Anganwadi Workers in Vadodara District, Gujarat State, India

Cited by 14 publications

References 14 publications

Perceptions of Asha Workers in the Hope Collaborative Care Mental Health Intervention in Rural South India: A Qualitative Analysis

Perceptions of Asha Workers in the Hope Collaborative Care Mental Health Intervention in Rural South India: A Qualitative Analysis

Mental health orientation among ASHAs

Intervention-based mental health training for community level workers in India –A systematic review

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