The impact of awareness of psychotic disorder on pathways to psychiatric care for first episode psychosis in India

ABSTRACTBesides the availability of mental health services, the role of non-psychiatric healthcare providers (HCPs) and help seeking behaviour of patients/caregivers are important determinants of the pathway for early engagement with psychiatric services. We explored the help seeking behaviour of 151 persons with first episode non-affective psychosis for their preferences for making contacts/consultations with various types of HCPs; and the role of HCPs in psychiatric referrals using a modified encounter form of the World Health Organization. The most common type of the first and subsequent HCPs were faith healers, followed by local practitioners, general medical practitioners and mental health professionals. The average number of contacts before reaching the study centre was 7.19. Study centre referral was mainly by significant individuals/organizations in the community. The consequent pathway map of the pathway to psychiatric care was complex and multidirectional without a definite pattern of hierarchy ...