South Asian Perspectives in Mental Health and Psychology – serie

This book aims to provide a comparative analysis of mental health service delivery in the Middle East to shed light on challenges and disparities in access to care.

Suicidal behavior is an extremely complex human behavior. In recent times, evidence has shown associations among ecological variables like the human development index, the income of the country, the GINI index, educational attainment, the green environment, climate change, and suicidal behavior.

Forensic psychiatry is an emerging branch of psychiatry in South Asian countries. The countries of the region have just started to concentrate on its importance. Very little is known about the extent of problems and available mental health services.  The volume editors have not found a comprehensive book compiling the scenario from these eight countries. Therefore, this book will be the first of its kind. It will be helpful for clinical psychiatrists, psychiatric trainees, academics, researchers, legal practitioners, policymakers, and NGO personnel working with law enforcement and mental health.  The book aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of forensic psychiatry and related issues in South Asian countries. It will cover varied areas in this field, such as mental health and addiction laws capacity assessment, insanity defense, criminal responsibility, and prison mental health issues. The book will discuss these topics thoroughly, keeping in mind regional differences, such as different mental health legislatures and cultural variations.

This book is about the current status and ways ahead of geriatric psychiatry in South Asia. South Asia is home to a large proportion of the world’s elderly. With improved longevity, the geriatric population is increasing fast in recent years in South Asian countries. Along with this, the mental health burden of the older adults is increasing. However, mental health care of older adults in South Asia is a neglected area. Little is known about the burden of mental disorders and available mental health services specific for the older adults population in South Asia and other low and middle income countries.It is well known that resources are fewer in this region, and most of the older adults in these areas are not recognized or treated. There is a urgent need to explore the services available, their appropriateness and effectiveness, and to reflect on the region-specific, economically viable solutions that can be adapted soon. The book discusses how these services can be seamlessly integrated to the existing support systems. Besides the interventional aspects, the book also explores the facilitating and impeding factors of implementing evidence-based preventive efforts in these countries.

This book focuses on the impact of social dimensions on the mental health of people living in the eight South Asian countries. The book also takes a look at various new, state-run, social initiatives to advance mental health and manage mental illnesses.