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. The Middle East is a region rich in diversity, covering various countries and cultures. Most observers have attested to the view that countries in the Middle East have a substantial treatment gap for people with mental illness. Only a tiny fraction of the population with mental illness can access evidence-based mental health care. There are multiple challenges associated with this region, including insufficient funding and research, a shortage of skilled professionals, substantial out-of-pocket expenses, low levels of mental health literacy, income inequality, and a high level of stigma. While governments are making efforts to address this gap through improved mental health policies and programmes, providing mental health care to all those in need remains a significant challenge. In addition, many Middle East countries are contending with conflicts, wars, terrorism, and all of which can potentially give rise to various behavioural and mental disorders.Chapter 12 is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution BY-NC-ND 4.0 license via link.springer.com.

This book discusses teaching and training in psychiatry in South Asia. Teaching and training are the pillars of learning. Psychiatry teaching is evolving rapidly across the globe. The focus of teaching and training is gradually shifting towards developing and enhancing skills rather than just imparting knowledge about the subject. Recently, the structure of psychiatric teaching and training has undergone change following the adoption of competency based medical education in several countries. Change in curricular structure also attempts to homogenize the teaching and training of psychiatry across the globe. Understanding the regional trends, regional needs and exercising evidence-based and innovative techniques of teaching and training may strengthen psychiatry learning. South Asia is a densely populated region catering about 2 billion populations with homogeneity among this huge population. However, there is no comprehensive book comparing and contrasting teaching and training in South Asia, hence this book aims to achieve this.

This book examines how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are related to mental health in South Asia. According to the World Health Organization, SDG 3 aims for "good health and well-being" which includes mental health. Just like physical health, mental well-being is important for individuals to thrive. Poor mental health can hinder progress in other areas like poverty reduction (SDG 1) or education (SDG 4). Mental illness can make it difficult to hold a job, stay in school, or manage daily life, increasing poverty and limiting opportunities. Hence, we can clearly understand the connection between good mental health and a sustainable future. The SDGs and their progress is one of the global priorities. However, no previous attempt has been made to discuss how the SDGs are related to mental health in South Asia which caters to a population of about 2 billion. This book is the first of its kind to do so.

This book discusses disaster psychiatry and the impact of climate change in South Asia. South Asia consists of eight LMICs. As a region, it is one of the most disaster-prone areas of the world. Besides the increased frequency, disasters affect a large number of people in this area, as it is densely populated. Impact of the disasters is also considerably higher considering the scarcity of resources in the area. Recent studies identified that LMICs are more affected by climate change than high-income countries. However, little we know about the mental health impact of frequent disasters like cyclones, river erosions, droughts, floods, tsunamis, and the long-term effects of climate change in South Asian countries.Mental health consequences of the disasters are not contained within the immediate post-disaster period, rather it continues long-term. Ironically, despite the population affected being usually large, the information about the sequelae is really scant. In addition, the support systems and resources for the survivors are not as robust as in the developed world. It appears that the enormity of the concerns is not appreciated by the authorities in these countries, primarily because of a lack of information and inadequate or ineffective professional suggestions. While the challenges continue, many survivors with mental health problems secondary to disasters are not recognized, treated, or rehabilitated appropriately. There is an urgent need to emphasize these aspects, especially in the South Asia region, considering its enhanced vulnerabilities.

This book discusses the association between ecological and social determinants and suicidal behavior. Suicidal behavior is an extremely complex human behavior. It is an outcome of complex interactions among multiple factors like gene and environment, biopsychosocial, proximal and distal factors. Several risk factors such as psychiatric disorders, life events, social deprivation, personality traits and disorders, and substance abuse have been identified even though those vary based on culture, time, country, and methods of assessment. 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. At the same time, there are interlinked confounding variables that challenge the findings. Given the lack of literature discussing these findings, this book seeks to compare and contrast the ecological aspects and suicidal behavior holistically.

This book discusses the association between ecological and social determinants and suicidal behavior. Suicidal behavior is an extremely complex human behavior. It is an outcome of complex interactions among multiple factors like gene and environment, biopsychosocial, proximal and distal factors. Several risk factors such as psychiatric disorders, life events, social deprivation, personality traits and disorders, and substance abuse have been identified even though those vary based on culture, time, country, and methods of assessment. 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. At the same time, there are interlinked confounding variables that challenge the findings. Given the lack of literature discussing these findings, this book seeks to compare and contrast the ecological aspects and suicidal behavior holistically.

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 biopsychosocial approach has been well accepted and considered while formulating the risk factors and treatment strategy for mental disorders. It indicates the importance of social structure and social influence on mental health, psychiatric disorders, and treatment. The social determinants of mental health including social networks, culture, norms, socio-economic conditions, and healthcare systems in South Asia vary remarkably from the West. Also, societal changes under Western influence are noticeable in several sections leading to a change in the way people cope with adversities. Additionally, the political and economic instability in several countries poses additional challenges to mental health. The impact of social structure in South Asia on psychiatric disorders and vice-versa has not been adequately addressed yet, so this book seeks to address that. The book also takes a look at various new, state-run, social initiatives to advance mental health and manage mental illnesses.