Kalyanasundaram Seshadri1, Thanapal Sivakumar2, Aarti Jagannathan3. 1. Richmond Fellowship society, Bangalore Branch, Bengaluru, India. sundarps@gmail.com. 2. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, India. 3. Department of Psychiatric Social Work (Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bengaluru, India.
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the evolution of family support movement for schizophrenia in India and to report perspectives of family caregivers who are running family support groups across the country in the backdrop of recent legislations in India. RECENT FINDINGS: Family support movement started in the 1990s, mostly by family caregivers independently in multiple cities across the country. Apart from periodic support meetings, they have successfully influenced recent legislations to address the felt needs of families. Mental health professionals need to gain skills to work collaboratively with assertive family caregivers to develop services to support those diagnosed with mental illness. Though there is a need for such movement, funding is poor and very few caregivers of persons with schizophrenia are forthcoming to participate. The formation of national federation with government and non-government partnership could help give the required impetus to the family support movement for persons with schizophrenia in India.
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: To review the evolution of family support movement for schizophrenia in India and to report perspectives of family caregivers who are running family support groups across the country in the backdrop of recent legislations in India. RECENT FINDINGS: Family support movement started in the 1990s, mostly by family caregivers independently in multiple cities across the country. Apart from periodic support meetings, they have successfully influenced recent legislations to address the felt needs of families. Mental health professionals need to gain skills to work collaboratively with assertive family caregivers to develop services to support those diagnosed with mental illness. Though there is a need for such movement, funding is poor and very few caregivers of persons with schizophrenia are forthcoming to participate. The formation of national federation with government and non-government partnership could help give the required impetus to the family support movement for persons with schizophrenia in India.
Entities:
Keywords:
Family support; Group meetings; India; Schizophrenia
Authors: Desh Keerti Menon; M Thomas Kishore; T Sivakumar; Pallab K Maulik; Devvarta Kumar; Ram Lakhan; Ruma Banerjee Journal: J Intellect Disabil Date: 2017-09
Authors: L Ponnuchamy; Baijumon K Mathew; Sheeba Mathew; G S Udayakumar; S Kalyanasundaram; Dharitri Ramprasad Journal: Indian J Psychiatry Date: 2005-07 Impact factor: 1.759