Course

Unit 1

Community Mental Health – Scope, concepts and perspectives; Historical Overview of Community, Community mental health worker in rural India, Mental Health in India and abroad; Relevance of Community Mental Health Services in India, Social determinants of mental health – mapping using AI tools, Traditional systems of mental health care in India. Mental disorders in primary health care. Mental health of women, maternity workers, Children and adolescents- school going and drop outs, mental health needs of elderly, Special groups-refugees, disaster affected populations, Suicide and attempted suicide, Academic stress, Public mental health education

Unit 2

Trends in Mental Health Care promotion – Prevention of mental disorders, Promotion of mental health, Promoting mental health awareness in local schools, International developments in mental health care, Inter-sectoral Collaboration between Government and Non-Governmental Organizations, Inter-sectoral Collaboration – social work, public health and technology perspectives, Psychosocial care for mental health issues in rural, urban and tribal areas, Challenges for mental healthcare in India.

Unit 3

Legislations related to Mental Health – Legislations in Mental Health impacting Community Mental Health – Mental Health Care Act, 2017; Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 2007; Justice and Rights in Community Mental Health;  Mental Health Policy 2014; Rights of Persons with Disability Act, 2016, Mental Health Care Bill 2016; National Health Policy 2017: Critical evaluation of the legislations. Recent Amendments. Ethical implications of data privacy in community-based care.

Unit 4

Community Mental Health Models – Moving beyond the Institutional Model of service delivery, Community Mental Health practice integrated with the public health system, Models of Health care – Clinical Model, Ecological Model, Systems Model, Community based rehabilitation (CBR) models of mental health care. Clinical tools for information gathering – Genogram, Ecomap and Social network Map, AI visual mapping tools, Telepsychiatry.

Unit 5

Community Mental Health and NGOs – Role of Non-Governmental Organizations in Mental Health care – Treatment: care and rehabilitation; Community-based activities and prevention; Research and training; Advocacy and empowerment of Marginalised populations. Strengths and limitations in Mental Health care delivery, NGO mental health work, Design community impact reports.

Text Books / References

Text Books

1. Sekar, K. (2011). Handbook of Psychiatric Social Work. National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore.
2. Yadav D.N. and Ranjan L.K. (2024). Psychiatric Social Work Practice in Mental Health, Book Rivers.
3. Agarwaal, S.P., Goel, D.S., Ichhpujani, R.L., Salhan, R.N., Shrivatsava, S. (2004). Mental Health- An Indian perspective(1946-2003), Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi.
4. Chandrashekar, C.R., Issac, M.K., Kapur, R.L., Parthasarathy, R. (1881). Management of priority mental disorders in the community, Indian Journal of Psychiatry. 23: 174-178.
5. Chatterjee, S., Patel, V., Chatterjee, A., Weiss, H.A. (2003). Evaluation of a community-based rehabilitation model for chronic schizophrenia in India, British Journal of Psychiatry, 182:57-62.

Suggested Readings:

1. Director General of Health Services: National Mental Health Programme for India. New Delhi, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, 1982.
2. Parthasarathy, R., Chandrasekar, C.R., Issac, M.K. and Prema, T.P. (1981).A profile of the follow-up of the rural mentally ill, Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 23:139-141.
3. Chittaranjan, S. (2024). Psychiatric Social Work: Principles to Practice. Rawat Publications.
4. Patel, V., Thara, R. (Eds). (2003). Meeting mental health needs in developing countries: NGO innovations in India, Sage (India), New Delhi.
5. Ranganathan, S. (1966). The Empowered Community: a paradigm shift in the treatment of Alcoholism, TTR Clinical Research Foundation, Madras.
6. Sinha, D. (1990). Concept of psycho-social well-being: Western and India perspectives, NIMHANS Journal, 8(1), 1-11.

Community based mental health care is a decentralized approach to ensure health and wellbeing of the individual. Community-based care is planned to supplement and decrease the require for more expensive inpatient mental wellbeing care delivered in hospitals.

Course Objective:

1. To enable students to understand the concepts of Community mental health and the commonly seen mental disorders.
2. To enhance knowledge on the recent Development in Mental Health nationally and internationally.
3. To gain information on the various legislations related to mental health in India.
4. To understand the approaches/models of mental health practiced in the community.
5. To enlighten on the role and contribution of the NGO’s in promoting Mental Health and preventing Mental Disorders in the Community.

Course Outcome:

1. Analyze the concepts, scope, and social determinants of community mental health and the mental health needs of special groups.
2. Evaluate the major legislations and debate the ethical implications of data privacy and justice and rights in community-based care.
3. Apply various models and utilize clinical tools, including genograms, ecomaps, and AI visual mapping tools for assessment and intervention.
4. Identify and promote national/international trends in mental health awareness, prevention, and inter-sectoral collaboration.
5. Demonstrate advanced skills in working with NGOs for advocacy, research, and rehabilitation, and design community impact reports

Course Outcome Mapping and Program Outcome Mapping.