Psychiatric Rehabilitation in Indian General Hospital Psychiatry Unit Settings

Abstract

In India, General Hospital Psychiatry Units (GHPUs) are the backbone for mental health care. GHPUs have less stigma, facilitate inter-specialty collaboration, and provide integrated mental and physical healthcare. GHPUs offer a predominantly medical model of care and face multiple challenges in offering psychiatric rehabilitation, including a severe crunch of human resources. This article summarizes the basic concepts of psychiatric rehabilitation, possible rehabilitation interventions in resource-constrained settings, and interventions that can be delivered with the help of caregivers and frontline mental health workers. The article concludes with some of the pragmatic indigenous models of psychiatric rehabilitation at GHPUs.