How Lengthy and Tortuous is the Pathway to Psychiatric Care among Patients Visiting a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India? A Cross-sectional Study
Background: Mental illnesses (MI) are commonly linked with a higher burden of disease. A large number of patients with mental illnesses do not present to the mental health services directly rather they adopt a pathway that is usually prolonged and tortuous. By the time they reach the mental health s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Jaypee Brothers Medical Publisher
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Indian Journal of Private Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.ijiapp.com/doi/IJPP/pdf/10.5005/jp-journals-10067-0106 |
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| author | Manjula Simiyon Swetha Joju Pradeep Thilakan Manikandan Mani |
| author_facet | Manjula Simiyon Swetha Joju Pradeep Thilakan Manikandan Mani |
| author_sort | Manjula Simiyon |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Mental illnesses (MI) are commonly linked with a higher burden of disease. A large number of patients with mental illnesses do not present to the mental health services directly rather they adopt a pathway that is usually prolonged and tortuous. By the time they reach the mental health services the illness becomes chronic and the resources are exhausted. It is all the more relevant in countries like India where traditional healing practices are easily accessible in contrary to mental health services.
Aims and objectives: The aims and objectives of this study were to measure the number of encounters patients with psychiatric illnesses had before meeting a mental health professional and the duration of untreated illness (DUI).
Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional questionnaire-based study, we interviewed 150 patients and their caregivers visiting the outpatient services of a tertiary care teaching hospital in South India.
Results: The median time taken for any help, from traditional healers, general hospitals, or a mental health practitioner was 12 months (IQR 2–47.25). The median DUI was 18 months (IQR 2.75–60), and the median total duration of illness was 24 months (IQR 4–87). The mean number of encounters was 2.7 (SD ± 1.77). As the first point of contact, 12% had met a traditional healer and 40% had met a psychiatrist. Friends and relatives in 80% of the patients initiated help-seeking. In multivariate analysis, age, male gender, and lower educational status were significant predictors for a longer duration of illness.
Conclusion: Patients in India continue to take a long and tortuous pathway to psychiatric care that goes through many encounters. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-2bc020e293f04e77bb6fb2bec7cf01ee |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2319-5363 2583-4010 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | Jaypee Brothers Medical Publisher |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Indian Journal of Private Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj-art-2bc020e293f04e77bb6fb2bec7cf01ee2025-08-20T02:17:45ZengJaypee Brothers Medical PublisherIndian Journal of Private Psychiatry2319-53632583-40102022-03-011613910.5005/jp-journals-10067-01062How Lengthy and Tortuous is the Pathway to Psychiatric Care among Patients Visiting a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India? A Cross-sectional StudyManjula Simiyon0Swetha Joju1Pradeep Thilakan2Manikandan Mani3Manjula Simiyon, Department of Psychiatry, Wrexham Maelor Hospital, Wrexham, United Kingdom, Phone: +447831449630Department of Psychiatry, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry, IndiaDepartment of Psychiatry, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry, IndiaDepartment of Community Medicine, Pondicherry Institute of Medical Sciences, Puducherry, IndiaBackground: Mental illnesses (MI) are commonly linked with a higher burden of disease. A large number of patients with mental illnesses do not present to the mental health services directly rather they adopt a pathway that is usually prolonged and tortuous. By the time they reach the mental health services the illness becomes chronic and the resources are exhausted. It is all the more relevant in countries like India where traditional healing practices are easily accessible in contrary to mental health services. Aims and objectives: The aims and objectives of this study were to measure the number of encounters patients with psychiatric illnesses had before meeting a mental health professional and the duration of untreated illness (DUI). Materials and methods: In this cross-sectional questionnaire-based study, we interviewed 150 patients and their caregivers visiting the outpatient services of a tertiary care teaching hospital in South India. Results: The median time taken for any help, from traditional healers, general hospitals, or a mental health practitioner was 12 months (IQR 2–47.25). The median DUI was 18 months (IQR 2.75–60), and the median total duration of illness was 24 months (IQR 4–87). The mean number of encounters was 2.7 (SD ± 1.77). As the first point of contact, 12% had met a traditional healer and 40% had met a psychiatrist. Friends and relatives in 80% of the patients initiated help-seeking. In multivariate analysis, age, male gender, and lower educational status were significant predictors for a longer duration of illness. Conclusion: Patients in India continue to take a long and tortuous pathway to psychiatric care that goes through many encounters.https://www.ijiapp.com/doi/IJPP/pdf/10.5005/jp-journals-10067-0106duration of untreated illnessindiapathwaytraditional healers |
| spellingShingle | Manjula Simiyon Swetha Joju Pradeep Thilakan Manikandan Mani How Lengthy and Tortuous is the Pathway to Psychiatric Care among Patients Visiting a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India? A Cross-sectional Study Indian Journal of Private Psychiatry duration of untreated illness india pathway traditional healers |
| title | How Lengthy and Tortuous is the Pathway to Psychiatric Care among Patients Visiting a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India? A Cross-sectional Study |
| title_full | How Lengthy and Tortuous is the Pathway to Psychiatric Care among Patients Visiting a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India? A Cross-sectional Study |
| title_fullStr | How Lengthy and Tortuous is the Pathway to Psychiatric Care among Patients Visiting a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India? A Cross-sectional Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | How Lengthy and Tortuous is the Pathway to Psychiatric Care among Patients Visiting a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India? A Cross-sectional Study |
| title_short | How Lengthy and Tortuous is the Pathway to Psychiatric Care among Patients Visiting a Tertiary Care Hospital in South India? A Cross-sectional Study |
| title_sort | how lengthy and tortuous is the pathway to psychiatric care among patients visiting a tertiary care hospital in south india a cross sectional study |
| topic | duration of untreated illness india pathway traditional healers |
| url | https://www.ijiapp.com/doi/IJPP/pdf/10.5005/jp-journals-10067-0106 |
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