World Mental Health Research Articles

Suicidality in University Students Throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has greatly disrupted the day-to-day life of university students, as it has for the general population. University students have been reported to have high rates of mental health concerns, including suicidal ideation.ObjectivesAscertaining the correlation of Covid-19 dissemination and proximity to University students in Vancouver, Canada, with suicidal ideation and suicidal plan.MethodsWe analyuzed weekly cross-sectional data from our Canadian World Mental Health International College Student survey by plotting the 30-day suicide ideation as a binary and the ordered 30-day suicide ideation outcomes using logistic and ordered generalized additive model (GAM) respectively, with a cubic spline and adjusting for demographics. We also ran an analysis on the association between binary 30-day ideation and different sample characteristics using logistic regression.ResultsThe time trend analysis showed that suicidal ideation did not seem to increase during the COVID-19 pandemic. On the contrary, ideation levels were found to be high in the beginning (February 2020) with a downwards trend through June to September before gradually increasing around November, 2020. We identified sociodemographic risk factors that may be associated with suicidal ideation, and established that those most at risk were students who had been emotionally overwhelmed by Covid-19 and unable to find help.ConclusionsOur results seem to indicate that, in general, students have remained resilient under the stress factors presented by the pandemic, and that trends in suicidality seem to follow seasonal or school calendar year stressors rather than respond to the pandemic. However, certain subpopulations appear to be more affected than others.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Firearms, Physicians, Families, and Kids: Finding Words that Work

Firearms, Physicians, Families, and Kids: Finding Words that Work

Suicidal behavior and associated factors among prisoners in Dilla town, Dilla, Ethiopia 2020: An institutional based cross-sectional study.

BackgroundSuicide is a serious cause of mortality worldwide and is a psychiatric emergency. Among prisoners, it is the leading cause of death compared to the general population. However, suicide in prison is a neglected public health issue especially in middle- and low-income countries including Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the prevalence and associated factors of suicidal behavior among prisoners in Dilla Town Correctional Center, South Ethiopia.MethodsAn institution-based cross- sectional study was conducted from May13- June 13, 2020 in the Dilla Town Correctional Center. The simple random sampling technique was used to select 650 prisoners. Data were collected by face-to—to-face interview. Suicidal ideation and attempts were assessed by using the suicidality module of World Mental Health survey initiative version of the World Health Organization composite International diagnostic interview. Data were coded, entered with EP-data version 3.1, and analyzed by using Statistical Package for Social Science version 24. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine the significant association between explanatory variables and outcome variables at 95% CI.The resultsThe prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempt among prisoners were 21.9% (95%CI, 18.4–25.2) and 13.1% (95%CI, 10.6–15.8), respectively. Female sex [(AOR) = 2.6, 95%CI, (1.39, 8.2)], divorced/widowed [AOR = 3.67, 95%CI, (2.05, 6.58)], family history of mental illness [AOR = 2.49, 95%CI, (1.41, 4.38)], common mental disorder [AOR = 1.98, 95%CI, (1.25, 3.16)] and poor social support [AOR = 2.68, 95%CI, (1.42, 5.06)] were statistically associated with suicidal ideation. Whereas, female sex [AOR = 3.24, 95%CI, (1.89, 9.4)], previous incarceration [AOR = 2.38, 95%CI, (1.2, 5.16)], and family history of mental illness [AOR = 2.08, 95%CI, (1.11, 3.9)] were associated with suicide attempt.ConclusionThe prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts among prisoners were high. The special attention in early screening and treatment of suicide among prisoners and collaborating with health institutions is important for better management and prevention.

Patterns and correlates of patient-reported helpfulness of treatment for common mental and substance use disorders in the WHO World Mental Health Surveys.

Patient-reported helpfulness of treatment is an important indicator of quality in patient-centered care. We examined its pathways and predictors among respondents to household surveys who reported ever receiving treatment for major depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social phobia, specific phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, bipolar disorder, or alcohol use disorder. Data came from 30 community epidemiological surveys - 17 in high-income countries (HICs) and 13 in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) - carried out as part of the World Health Organization (WHO)'s World Mental Health (WMH) Surveys. Respondents were asked whether treatment of each disorder was ever helpful and, if so, the number of professionals seen before receiving helpful treatment. Across all surveys and diagnostic categories, 26.1% of patients (N=10,035) reported being helped by the very first professional they saw. Persisting to a second professional after a first unhelpful treatment brought the cumulative probability of receiving helpful treatment to 51.2%. If patients persisted with up through eight professionals, the cumulative probability rose to 90.6%. However, only an estimated 22.8% of patients would have persisted in seeing these many professionals after repeatedly receiving treatments they considered not helpful. Although the proportion of individuals with disorders who sought treatment was higher and they were more persistent in HICs than LMICs, proportional helpfulness among treated cases was no different between HICs and LMICs. A wide range of predictors of perceived treatment helpfulness were found, some of them consistent across diagnostic categories and others unique to specific disorders. These results provide novel information about patient evaluations of treatment across diagnoses and countries varying in income level, and suggest that a critical issue in improving the quality of care for mental disorders should be fostering persistence in professional help-seeking if earlier treatments are not helpful.

Prevalence and Factors Associated With Suicidal Ideation Among Adult Eritrean Refugees in Northern Ethiopia

BackgroundThe present study assessed the prevalence of and factor associated with suicidal ideations among adult Eritrean refugees in Tigray, Ethiopia.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was carried out among 400 adult refugees living in the Mai-Aini refugee camp in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia from September 2019 to May 2020. The response variable was suicidal ideation and was measured using World Mental Health (WMH) Survey Initiative Version of the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview. We applied bivariate and multivariate logistic regression to determine predictors for suicide ideations. Odds ratios and p-values were determined to check the associations between variables, and a p-value <0.05 was considered as a cut-off for statistical significance.ResultsThe prevalence of suicidal ideations was 20.5% (95% CI: 16.4%, 24.5%). Having previous history of trauma [AOR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.4, 4.5], a history of chronic illness [AOR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.3, 6.5], a family history of mental disorder [AOR = 3.08, 95% CI: 1.3, 7.06], and history of post-traumatic stress disorder [AOR = 5.7, 95% CI: 2.8, 11.5] were significantly associated with suicidal ideations.ConclusionsThis study showed that during the stay in the refugee camp, there was a high prevalence of suicide ideations compared to the prevalence of suicide ideations among the general populations of Ethiopia, Europe, and China, and the lifetime pooled prevalence across 17 countries. Having previous history of trauma, a history of chronic illness, a family history of mental disorder, and history of post-traumatic stress disorder were the factors statistically associated with the suicidal ideation.

Religious Involvement and DSM-IV Anxiety Disorders Among African-Americans.

This study examined the relationship between eight measures of religious involvement and five anxiety disorders among a nationally representative sample of African-Americans ( N = 3403). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition , World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview was used to assess 12-month and lifetime prevalence for each disorder. Logistic regression indicated weekly service attendance was inversely associated with 12-month and lifetime panic disorder, lifetime agoraphobia, and 12-month and lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Prayer was inversely associated with 12-month agoraphobia, 12-month social phobia, and lifetime PTSD. Listening to religious radio and looking to God for strength were also inversely related to, respectively, 12-month and lifetime panic disorder. Conversely, reading religious materials was positively associated with 12-month panic disorder, 12-month agoraphobia, lifetime PTSD, and lifetime generalized anxiety disorder. The results are discussed in light of conceptual models that specify multiple and sometimes divergent pathways through which religion impacts health, and suggestions for clinicians addressing anxiety disorders are delineated.

The Picture of #Mentalhealth on Instagram: Congruent vs. Incongruent Emotions in Predicting the Sentiment of Comments

This study explores the effects of sentiment of Instagram images and captions on the sentiment of comments. All Instagram posts with the hashtag #mentalhealth and the associated metadata were scraped on World Mental Health Day. A mixed-method approach of a sentiment classifier and a quantitative content analysis of Instagram posts (N = 7,078) was used. Overall, our sample contained more positive sentiment posts and comments than negative ones, indicating a possible connection between mental health-related discourse and positive sentiment on Instagram. Images containing faces elicited more likes, comments and positive comments compared with images without faces. MANCOVA analyses of images with human faces found that emotional contagion from Instagram posts to comments was only observed when considering the sentiment of both images and captions. Congruency effects were seen for posts with both negative captions and images, which elicited more negative comments compared to emotionally incongruent posts. Theoretical implications of emotional contagion and real-life implications for mental health social media campaign design are discussed.

Nursing Home Workers' Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in France.

ObjectivesThe present study sought to examine mental health problems among nursing home workers in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, to investigate COVID-19–related fears, and to identify prepandemic factors associated with current mental health issues.DesignA cross-sectional, online survey was used.Setting and ParticipantsAll employees among 6 nursing homes in southwestern France (N = 455) were solicited between November, 2020 and June, 2021.MethodsThe survey instrument was developed within the World Mental Health consortium to screen for COVID-related fears, probable generalized anxiety, panic attacks, depression, posttraumatic stress and substance use disorders in the past 30 days.ResultsThe survey was completed by 127 workers (89.0% female, mean age = 43.42 years, SD = 11.29), yielding a 28.5% response rate. Overall, 48.03% reported experiencing fear of infecting others at least most of the time. One in 8 (14.96%) indicated that close others feared being infected by them. One-third of the sample (34.65%) met criteria for at least 1 probable current mental disorder. Panic attacks (22.05%) were the most frequently reported mental health problem, followed by depression (16.54%). In multivariate analyses, the only factor associated with having a current probable mental disorder was the presence of any prepandemic mental health problem (adjusted odds ratio 4.76, 95% CI 2.08-10.89). Type of employment contract, full-time status, and medical vs nonmedical staff status were not significantly associated with mental health status.Conclusions and ImplicationsThe study reveals that one-third of nursing home workers in the sample report current probable mental disorders, and these were largely associated with prepandemic mental health status. Screening for common mental health problems and facilitating access to appropriate care should be prioritized in nursing homes.

Brief CBT Interventions May Stop Depression Before It Starts

Brief CBT Interventions May Stop Depression Before It Starts

Perceived helpfulness of treatment for social anxiety disorder: findings from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys.

To investigate the prevalence and predictors of perceived helpfulness of treatment in persons with a history of DSM-IV social anxiety disorder (SAD), using a worldwide population-based sample. The World Health Organization World Mental Health Surveys is a coordinated series of community epidemiological surveys of non-institutionalized adults; 27 surveys in 24 countries (16 in high-income; 11 in low/middle-income countries; N = 117,856) included people with a lifetime history of treated SAD. In respondents with lifetime SAD, approximately one in five ever obtained treatment. Among these (n = 1322), cumulative probability of receiving treatment they regarded as helpful after seeing up to seven professionals was 92.2%. However, only 30.2% persisted this long, resulting in 65.1% ever receiving treatment perceived as helpful. Perceiving treatment as helpful was more common in female respondents, those currently married, more highly educated, and treated in non-formal health-care settings. Persistence in seeking treatment for SAD was higher among those with shorter delays in seeking treatment, in those receiving medication from a mental health specialist, and those with more than two lifetime anxiety disorders. The vast majority of individuals with SAD do not receive any treatment. Among those who do, the probability that people treated for SAD obtain treatment they consider helpful increases considerably if they persisted in help-seeking after earlier unhelpful treatments.

Dietary patterns of persons with chronic conditions within a multi-ethnic population: results\xa0from the nationwide Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices survey\xa0on diabetes in Singapore

BackgroundChronic conditions are a leading cause of death and disability worldwide and respective data on dietary patterns remain scant. The present study aimed to investigate dietary patterns and identify sociodemographic factors associated with Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) scores within a multi-ethnic population with various chronic conditions.MethodsThe present study utilised data from the 2019-2020 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices study on diabetes in Singapore – a nationwide survey conducted to track the knowledge, attitudes, and practices pertaining to diabetes. The study analysed data collected from a sample of 2,895 Singapore residents, with information from the sociodemographic section, DASH diet screener, and the modified version of the World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) version 3.0 checklist of chronic physical conditions.ResultsRespondents with no chronic condition had a mean DASH score of 18.5 (±4.6), those with one chronic condition had a mean DASH score of 19.2 (±4.8), and those with two or more chronic conditions had a mean DASH score of 19.8 (±5.2). Overall, the older age groups [35– 49 years (B = 1.78, 95% CI: 1.23 – 2.33, p <0.001), 50–64 years (B = 2.86, 95% CI: 22.24 – 3.47, p <0.001) and 65 years and above (B = 3.45, 95% CI: 2.73 – 4.17, p <0.001)], Indians (B = 2.54, 95% CI: 2.09 – 2.98, p <0.001) reported better diet quality, while males (B = -1.50, 95% CI: -1.87 – -1.14, p <0.001) reported poorer diet quality versus females.ConclusionOverall, respondents with two or more chronic conditions reported better quality of diet while the sociodemographic factors of age, gender and ethnicity demonstrated a consistent pattern in correlating with diet quality, consistent with the extant literature. Results provide further insights for policymakers to refine ongoing efforts in relation to healthy dietary practices for Singapore.

Barriers to treatment for mental disorders in six countries of the Americas: A regional report from the World Mental Health Surveys

BackgroundMental health treatment is scarce and little resources are invested in reducing the wide treatment gap that exists in the Americas. The regional barriers are unknown. We describe the barriers for not seeking treatment among those with mental and substance use disorders from six (four low- and middle-income and two high-income) countries from the Americas. Regional socio-demographic and clinical correlates are assessed. MethodsRespondents (n = 4648) from seven World Mental Health surveys carried out in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, and the United States, who met diagnostic criteria for a 12-month mental disorder, measured with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview, and who did not access treatment, were asked about treatment need and, among those with need, structural and attitudinal barriers. Country-specific deviations from regional estimates were evaluated through logistic models. ResultsIn the Americas, 43% of those that did not access treatment did not perceive treatment need, while the rest reported structural and attitudinal barriers. Overall, 27% reported structural barriers, and 95% attitudinal barriers. The most frequent attitudinal barrier was to want to handle it on their own (69.4%). Being female and having higher severity of disorders were significant correlates of greater perceived structural and lower attitudinal barriers, with few country-specific variations. LimitationsOnly six countries in the Americas are represented; the cross-sectional nature of the survey precludes any causal interpretation. ConclusionsAwareness of disorder or treatment need in various forms is one of the main barriers reported in the Americas and it specially affects persons with severe disorders.

Associations between lifetime mental disorders and suicidal behaviors: findings from the Taiwan psychiatry morbidity survey.

East Asia has high suicide rates but low prevalence of mental disorders. We examined the associations between prior lifetime mental disorders (mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and impulse control disorders) and subsequent suicidal behaviors (suicidal ideation and attempts in the general population and suicide plans, planned attempts, and unplanned attempts in suicidal ideators) in Taiwan. This survey applied the World Mental Health Survey Composite International Diagnostic Interview to a population representative sample of noninstitutionalized adults between 2003 and 2005. Odds ratios (ORs) obtained using discrete-time survival analysis were used to estimate population attributable fractions (PAFs) of suicidal behaviors due to lifetime mental disorders. Lifetime mental illness was a significant risk factor for subsequent suicidal behaviors (except unplanned attempts among ideators) despite the relatively low prevalence of mental disorders in people with suicidality (16.1%-35.0%). Each diagnosis increased the odds of suicidal ideation. In terms of acting on suicidal ideation, mood disorders were most strongly associated with having plans (OR = 10.0; 95% confidence interval, CI 4.3-21.1), whereas substance use disorders most strongly with either planned (OR = 27.3; 95% CI 6.3-118.5) or unplanned attempts (OR = 14.5; 95% CI 1.7-121.5). PAFs of all mental disorders on suicidality lay between 20 and 30% (except 11% of unplanned attempts among ideators). Mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders had higher PAFs than impulse control disorders. In addition to mood disorders, considering anxiety and substance use disorders is essential in devising population-based suicide prevention strategies.

Dropout from treatment for mental disorders in six countries of the Americas: A regional report from the World Mental Health Surveys

ObjectiveTo estimate structural and attitudinal reasons for premature discontinuation of mental health treatment, socio-demographic and clinical correlates of treatment dropout due to these reasons, and to test country differences from the overall effect across the region of the Americas. MethodsWorld Health Organization-World Mental Health (WMH) surveys were carried out in six countries in the Americas: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and USA. Among the 1991 participants who met diagnostic criteria (measured with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (WMHCIDI)) for a mental disorder and were in treatment in the prior 12-months, the 236 (12.2%) who dropped out of treatment before the professional recommended were included. FindingsIn all countries, individuals more frequently reported attitudinal (79.2%) rather than structural reasons (30.7%) for dropout. Disorder severity was associated with structural reasons; those with severe disorder (versus mild disorder) had 3.4 (95%CI=1.1–11.1) times the odds of reporting a structural reason. Regarding attitudinal reasons, those with lower income (versus higher income) were less likely to discontinue treatment because of getting better (OR=0.4; 95%CI= 0.2–0.9). Country specific variations were found. LimitationsNot all countries, or the poorest, in the region were included. Some estimations couldn´t be calculated due to cell size. Causality cannot be assumed. ConclusionClinicians should in the first sessions address attitudinal factors that may lead to premature termination. Public policies need to consider distribution of services to increase convenience. A more rational use of resources would be to offer brief therapies to individuals most likely to drop out of treatment prematurely.

World Mental Health Day 2021: Mental Health in an Unequal World

World Mental Health Day 2021: Mental Health in an Unequal World

The Mediating Roles of Mental Health and Substance Use on Suicidal Behavior Among Undergraduate Students With ADHD

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of suicidal ideation (SI), plans and attempts, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Furthermore, we explored the mediating effects of depression, anxiety, alcohol and substance use on the association between ADHD and suicidal behaviors and NSSI. Method: Participants were first-year undergraduate students (n = 1,829) recruited as part of the World Mental Health International College Student Initiative. Participants completed validated clinical measures online. Results: The prevalence of suicide behaviors and NSSI were significantly higher among students with ADHD than those without. Mediation analyses indicated that ADHD directly and indirectly increased suicidal behaviors and NSSI. While ADHD increased suicidal behaviors and NSSI through depression, ADHD and the co-variates age and gender also had indirect effects on suicidal behaviors via substance use. Conclusions: Specific predictors of risk were identified for students with ADHD which may inform the development of more targeted mental health and suicide prevention strategies across campuses.

Perceived helpfulness of service sectors used for mental and substance use disorders: Findings from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys

BackgroundMental healthcare is delivered across service sectors that differ in level of specialization and intervention modalities typically offered. Little is known about the perceived helpfulness of the combinations of service sectors that patients use.MethodsRespondents 18 + years with 12-month DSM-IV mental or substance use disorders who saw a provider for mental health problems in the year before interview were identified from WHO World Mental Health surveys in 17 countries. Based upon the types of providers seen, patients were grouped into nine mutually exclusive single-sector or multi-sector ‘treatment profiles’. Perceived helpfulness was defined as the patient’s maximum rating of being helped (‘a lot’, ‘some’, ‘a little’ or ‘not at all’) of any type of provider seen in the profile. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the joint associations of sociodemographics, disorder types, and treatment profiles with being helped ‘a lot’.ResultsAcross all surveys combined, 29.4% (S.E. 0.6) of respondents with a 12-month disorder saw a provider in the past year (N = 3221). Of these patients, 58.2% (S.E. 1.0) reported being helped ‘a lot’. Odds of being helped ‘a lot’ were significantly higher (odds ratios [ORs] = 1.50–1.89) among the 12.9% of patients who used specialized multi-sector profiles involving both psychiatrists and other mental health specialists, compared to other patients, despite their high comorbidities. Lower odds of being helped ‘a lot’ were found among patients who were seen only in the general medical, psychiatrist, or other mental health specialty sectors (ORs = 0.46–0.71). Female gender and older age were associated with increased odds of being helped ‘a lot’. In models stratified by country income group, having 3 or more disorders (high-income countries only) and state-funded health insurance (low/middle-income countries only) were associated with increased odds of being helped ‘a lot’.ConclusionsPatients who received specialized, multi-sector care were more likely than other patients to report being helped ‘a lot’. This result is consistent with previous research suggesting that persistence in help-seeking is associated with receiving helpful treatment. Given the nonrandom sorting of patients by types of providers seen and persistence in help-seeking, we cannot discount that selection bias may play some role in this pattern.

Community-Level Social Support Infrastructure and Adult Onset of Major Depressive Disorder in a South Asian Postconflict Setting

Individual-level social support protects against major depressive disorder (MDD) among adults exposed to trauma. Little is known about the consequences of community-level interventions in the general population. To determine the potential consequences of neighborhood social infrastructure on incident MDD in a high-risk general population. This longitudinal, multilevel study estimated associations between a neighborhood-level program in a case-control design and subsequent individual outcomes across 10 years (2006-2015) in a cohort of young adults. Exogenously placed social programs simulate natural experiment conditions in a high-poverty population experiencing armed conflict (1998-2006). The western Chitwan valley in Nepal has a general population at high risk of MDD, with neighborhoods exposed to interventions to improve social support. From a random sample (response rate 93%) selected to represent the general population in 2016, participants aged 25 to 34 years in 2006 were studied. These individuals resided within 149 neighborhoods that varied in their availability of active social support programs. The analyses were conducted between October 2020 and November 2021. The Small Farmers Development Program (SFDP) uses shared, joint liability financial credit among neighbors to build social capital and cohesion within neighborhoods. Onset of DSM-IV MDD after the conflict, assessed by the Nepal-specific, clinically validated World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview with a life history calendar. The hypothesis tested was that exposure to SFDP reduced adult onset of MDD. Of the 1917 survey participants, 886 (46.2%) were women, and 856 (44.7%) were of Brahmin or Chhetri ethnicity. Of the 149 neighborhoods, 21 had an active SFDP group, and 156 of 1917 (8.1%) participants experienced MDD between 2006 and 2015. Discrete-time hazard models showed participants living in neighborhoods with an SFDP experienced incident MDD at nearly half the rate as others (odds ratio = 0.55; 95% CI, 0.30-1.02; P = .06). A multivariate, multilevel matching analysis showed the incidence of MDD among adults living in neighborhoods with an SFDP was 19 of 256 (7.4%), compared with 33 of 256 (12.9%) in the matched sample with no SFDP (z = 2.05; P = .04). Living in a neighborhood with community-level social support infrastructure was associated with reduced subsequent rates of adult-onset MDD, even in this high-risk population. Investments in such infrastructure may reduce population-level MDD, supporting clinical focus on potentially unpreventable cases.

The WPA-IPS-SPF-AFPA Joint Panel Discussion Organized by the IPA: Voices from South Asia Regarding Older People's Mental Health Advocacy and Services: Дискуссия экспертов WPA-IPS-SPF-AFPA под эгидой Международной психогериатрической ассоциации: услуги по охране психического здоровья и защита интересов пожилых людей в Южной Азии.

Kicking off on 1 October with the United Nations' International Day of Older Persons (UNIDOP) and concluding on 10 October in conjunction with World Mental Health Day, the OLDER ADULT MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK was a brand-new ten-day initiative launched by the International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA). It was focused on raising awareness of the importance of Better Mental Health for Older People with virtual programs from all around the world on each of these ten days. As part of this Awareness Week, the IPA hosted a discussion entitled "Mental healthcare services and advocacy for the older people amidst COVID crisis: Voices from South Asia", organized on October 6th, 2021 in conjunction with the World Psychiatric Association (WPA), Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS), Indian Association of Geriatric Mental Health (IAGMH), SAARC Psychiatric Federation (SPF), and the Asian Federation of Psychiatric Associations (AFPA). This is the event report of the same panel discussion which highlights the unique challenges to old age mental healthcare among the SAARC nations, calls for urgent collaborative action, and focuses on human rights and dignity-based mental healthcare for older adults in these rapidly ageing countries.

What role can a homoeopathic psychiatrist play in restoring mental health in an unequal world?

World Mental Health Day, observed on the 10 October, is an occasion for the mental health professionals to dedicate themselves to bringing succour to the numerous persons suffering from mental health disorders. The World Mental Health Federation has declared this year’s theme as ‘Mental Health in an Unequal world.’ The call is timely considering the distress wrought on different communities due to the pandemic and the social and economic distress which has affected all sections of the population, albeit with different intensities causing differing impacts. The article explores the theme in the historical context and outlines the various concerns which mental health professionals should concern themselves with. It is a common knowledge that they are in short supply all over the world. Homoeopaths, due to their approach to health, disease and individuals are uniquely equipped to fill this gap and thus make a difference. There are very few examples, at the institutional level, where community-based activities addressing the mental health issues have been successfully undertaken and have made an impact. The article draws on the almost two-decade-long experience of the Department of Homoeopathic Psychiatry, Dr. M. L. Dhawale Memorial Homoeopathic Institute in this area, thereby illustrating the possibility of incorporating similar practices in the District Mental Health Programme. Clinical activity needs to be reported in peer-reviewed journals and initiating research in priority areas would help homoeopathy to be recognised as a discipline which can be a part of Integrated Mental Health Care for mental disorders.