Role of accredited social health activists in treatment of persons with severe mental illness in the community

Authors: Thanapal Sivakumar, Channaveerachari Naveen Kumar, Jagadisha Thirthalli

In this article, authors advocate for the inclusion of Accredited Social Health Activists, ASHAs, in mental health care. Authors argue that ASHAs can guide community members to mental health programs and facilitate the scale-up of mental health care programs, particularly in low- and middle- income countries. Additionally, authors describe the results of a study conducted in Ramanagara district, India, where, after six months of implementation, ASHAs helped to identify more than 200 patients from the local community that might suffer from mental health conditions. In synthesizing the various concepts explored, authors suggest that ASHAs may best be involved in mental health care through improved training.

Link: Role of accredited social health activists in treatment of persons with severe mental illness in the community

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Resource Topic: ASHA, Mental health, Training

Resource Type: Editorial, Opinion

Year: 2022

Region: Asia

Country: India