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Mental health disorders are a growing public health concern among university students globally and in India, exacerbated by stigma and limited access to care. Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer a potential solution, but user engagement and cultural relevance remain key challenges. This pilot study evaluated Here for You, a mental health screening app co-designed with Indian university students to provide accessible, nonstigmatizing support. This mixed methods study aimed to (1) describe the user-centered codevelopment and pilot testing process of the Here for You app; (2) evaluate the app's feasibility, user acceptability, and engagement; and (3) assess the concurrent validity of the app's screening tool, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) against established clinical measures (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HAM-D], Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale [HAM-A], and Perceived Stress Scale [PSS]). This study used a 4-phase user-centered design involving students with lived mental health experience, clinicians, and developers. A purposive sample of 30 university students (mean age 21, SD 1.8 years; n=15, 50% female) diagnosed with depression, anxiety, or stress participated. Participants completed the DASS-21 via the app and underwent clinical assessments using the HAM-D, HAM-A, and PSS scales. User experience was evaluated using the User Mobile App Rating Scale and qualitative feedback. Data analysis included Pearson correlation coefficients and thematic analysis. App-based DASS-21 scores showed strong correlations with clinician-administered scales: HAM-D (r=0.819; P<.001), HAM-A (r=0.887; P<.001), and PSS (r=0.972; P<.001), indicating high concurrent validity. However, wide CIs reflected the small sample size typical of pilot studies. The app received high usability ratings on a 5-point scale (User Mobile App Rating Scale mean score 4.4), exceeding published benchmarks for mental health apps in low-resource settings, particularly for functionality (mean 4.7, SD 0.3) and aesthetics (mean 4.5, SD 0.4). Qualitative feedback highlighted usability and enhanced privacy due to features such as quick exit, cultural resonance, and the desire for integrated support features. The co-design process directly addressed student concerns, implementing features such as simplified language and crisis support links. This pilot study provides preliminary evidence for the feasibility and user acceptability of the Here for You app, co-designed using a participatory approach with Indian university students. Strong correlations between app-based screening and clinical assessments (r=0.819, r=0.887, and r=0.972) suggest promising concurrent validity. These findings from a single-site pilot study require validation through multisite studies across diverse educational and cultural contexts before broader implementation recommendations. By integrating user experience, clinical rigor, and ethical safeguards, such as adherence to digital personal data protection guidelines, the app offers a culturally resonant and scalable model for digital mental health screening in low-resource settings. This approach underscores the value of the \"nothing about us without us\" principle in developing effective mHealth interventions.

Introduction: As per the World Health Organization's mental health report for 2022, nearly a billion people have mental health issues, and 82% of them are in low and middle-income countries where mental health services are largely absent. For the successful integration of mental health into primary health care, proper training and education of primary care professionals are mandatory. Primary care nurses are in an excellent position to screen, identify, dual collaboration for treatment planning/referral, and follow-up of persons with mental illness (PMI), but they often lack the confidence and competence to tackle mental health problems. The study aimed to develop and validate the clinical schedule for primary care psychiatric nursing (CSP-N). Materials and Methods: It is conducted in two phases: the development and validation phases. An extensive literature search has been conducted, and the ten themes derived from the two-focused group discussions and three-direct one-to-one interviews and input from mental health experts were used to design the CSP-N. The CSP-N was checked for content validity by a panel of 17 experts using the item-level content validity index (I-CVI) and the scale-level content validity index (S-CVI). Results: The draft version 1 of the CSP-N showed high content validity for individual items (I-CVI range: 0.82 to 1.00) and high overall content validity (S-CVI = 0.95), and suggestions from the experts were incorporated. The CSP-N was developed in four modules. The single-measure two-way mixed absolute agreement ICC value was calculated (for 32 subjects) for the reliability test, and the ICC value was 0.97 with a 95% CI (0.94, 0.99). Conclusions: Using an iterative approach, the development and validation of the CSP-N demonstrated high I-CVI and S-CVI for screening and identification, dual collaboration for the treatment plan, referral, and follow-up of a person with mental illness by the nurses in the community.

ABSTRACT The National Medical Commission 'Ethics and Medical Registration Board' (EMRB) proposed 'The registered Medical Practioner (Professional Conduct) Regulations' 2022 on 23.05.2022 for public opinion. One of the major regulations included Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Guidelines in Chapter 2, Section 5. The main objective of the CPD Guidelines is to upgrade knowledge and skills regularly and ensure compliance with existing guidelines by the Registered Medical Practitioner (RMP) under NMC. The drafted CPD guidelines provide a framework for uniform, clear, and structured CPD modules for both in-person conferences and online webinars as well as accreditation. The proposed CPD guideline will ensure adequate up-gradation of knowledge, along with the improved quality of the content of CPD. This article aims to map the trajectory of CPD on its roads from origin to becoming a reality in the Indian scenario as well as identify the challenges and opportunities in implementing CPD in India.

Violence against women is a priority public health issue. Women with mental illness are at a double disadvantage. While social norms and beliefs either support or confront violence against women, research is limited on this issue. A randomized controlled design was adopted for the present study. This study was aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of module-based training in changing nurses’ attitudes towards norms and beliefs that support violence against women in mental health care settings. In this study, 68 nurses were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control group (34 in each group). After receiving the training program, the mean scores on norms and beliefs and justifiability of abuse scales were significantly higher in the experimental group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). The results confirmed the positive impact of the training program in changing nurses’ attitudes. However, further studies are required to draw firm conclusions on the effectiveness of the training intervention.

Cannabis is one of the oldest psychoactive substances in India and worldwide. Many developed countries like Canada, Netherlands and few states of the USA have legalized the use of recreational cannabis. However, In India, the recreational use of cannabis and its various forms such as ganja, charas, hashish, and its combination is legally prohibited. There have been several discussions and public interest litigations in India regarding the legalization of recreational cannabis use and its benefits. With this background, this article addresses the various implications of legalizing recreational use of cannabis, a multibillion dollar market and its impact on mental health, physical health, social, cultural, economic, and legal aspects with the lessons learnt from other countries that have already legalized recreational cannabis use. It also discusses whether India is prepared for the legalization of recreational cannabis, given the current criminal justice and healthcare systems. The authors conclude that, India is perhaps not enough prepared to legalize cannabis for recreational use. India's existing criminal justice and healthcare systems are overburdened, finding it challenging to control medicinal use, which is often the first contact point for cannabis-related concerns.

ABSTRACT Background: Telepsychiatric direct video consultations (DVCs) meant for continuity of care began in 2017 and continued during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Telemedicine-based consultation gained its long-due importance during the COVID-19 travel restriction, despite its existence for a long. The authors intend to share the utility and growth of the initial six years of live telepsychiatric DVCs from an academic hospital in India and also plan to understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on its growth and report findings from an innovative \"benefits of savings\" (BOS) analysis from these clinics. Methods: A first six years of medical audit of the files and registers of telepsychiatric DVCs from two kinds of continuity of care clinics during 2017-2022 is performed. An analysis of 4991 (84.8%) live DVCs is successfully conducted for 1570 patients from the 5885 scheduled appointments. Year-on-year (YOY) growth and BOS analysis of successful DVCs from these clinics were performed. Results and Discussion: The growth suggests a gradual increase in DVCs yearly. The BOS analysis suggests its increased acceptability, feasibility at both user and provider ends, and possible cost-effectiveness of these video clinics. YOY analysis suggests a natural growth of these clinics than from the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, except for an initial surge in 2020 and 2021 and observing stabilization effect by 2022. Conclusion: In the authors' understanding, this is the largest study of providing DVCs from India, irrespective of any medical/surgical specialty. The video/remote clinics could be an alternative model for regular follow-ups in ensuring the continuity of care among patients with psychiatric disorders. These clinics also saved significant travel time, travel distance, and travel costs for the patients that could have occurred for their in-person consultations.

The study aimed at comparing the psychiatric morbidity in geriatric versus nongeriatric (NG) adults during the initial 3 months following the December 2004 tsunami involving the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India. This observational study was undertaken during the relief operation of tsunami. There were 12,784 survivors sheltered across 74 relief camps with 4,684 displaced survivors in Port Blair, and 8,100 nondisplaced survivors in Car Nicobar Island. All persons who accessed mental health assistance within the camps constituted the study sample. Diagnoses were made by qualified psychiatrists using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision. There were 438 adult patients, of which 75 (17%) were geriatric (60 years or older) and 363 (83%) were NG (aged 19–59 years). The geriatric sample had greater levels of adjustment disorder than NG group. The two groups differed in terms of displacement as the elderly preferred to stay in their own locality. A comparison between displaced geriatric and NG groups showed that major depression was less common in the geriatric sample. However, in the nondisplaced group, geriatric subgroup showed a higher incidence of posttraumatic stress disorder. Within the geriatric sample, there were higher levels of adjustment disorder in the nondisplaced group whereas the displaced group suffered more depressive episodes and unspecified anxiety disorders. Greater levels of adjustment disorder in geriatric group may indicate grief reaction and survivor guilt, especially in nondisplaced group. In addition, lower occurrences of depressive episodes in nondisplaced geriatric sample may indicate that the elderly need to be rehabilitated in their own habitats after major disasters.

Background: Primary Care Doctors (PCDs) are the first contact for majority of patients with psychiatric disorders across the world including India. They often provide symptomatic treatment which is naturally inadequate. Absence or inadequate exposure to psychiatric training during undergraduate medical education is one of the prime reasons. Classroom training (CRT), a standard practice to train PCDs is driven by specialist based psychiatric curriculum and inherently lacks clinical translational value. Aim and Context: The 'Department of Psychiatry' of 'National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences', Bengaluru, India has recently come up with an innovative digitally driven modules of 'Primary Care Psychiatry Program' (PCPP) for practicing PCDs. Goal of this paper is to provide an overview of all these (five) modules with its various stages of implementation. Methods: Authors briefly discuss the current status of primary care psychiatry in India and also narrate the newly designed five modules of PCPP in this paper. Results and Discussion: An adopted psychiatric curriculum is designed in 'Clinical Schedules for Primary Care Psychiatry' (CSP) which is an integral part of PCPP. This is brief clinical schedules contains culturally appropriate screening questionnaire, transdiagnostic classification of 8 core psychiatric disorders, diagnostic, referral and management guidelines. PCPP contains 5 modules named as orientation module, basic module, advanced module [Tele-psychiatric 'On-Consultation Training' (Tele-OCT)], videoconference based continuing skill development module, and collaborative video consultation modules which covers all essential areas of primary care psychiatry for practicing PCDs. Last three modules are fully designed digital modules in hub and spoke model of Tele Medicine. In this designed program, the CSP and Tele-OCT are two path braking innovations having inbuilt higher clinical translation value. The challenges and opportunities that could be faced during its implementation across India are also discussed. Conclusion and Future Directions: Innovative PCPP is pragmatic in nature and has potential for higher clinical translational value. Once validated thoroughly, PCPP has potential for pan-India expansion. There is a need for artificial intelligence-based modules for next phase of PCPP in India considering her population and lesser number of available psychiatrists.

The Mental Healthcare Act, 2017 (MHCA) was a step that was essential, once the Government of India ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007. The MHCA looks to protect, promote, and fulfill the rights of persons with mental illness (PMI) as stated in the preamble of the Act. Further, there is an onus on the state to provide affordable mental health care to its citizens. In India, mental health has always been a lesser priority for lawmakers and citizens alike. The rights-based MHCA looks to overhaul the existing system by giving prominence to autonomy, protecting the rights of the mentally ill individuals, and making the State responsible for the care. The decision to make all this happen is commendable. The annual health expenditure of India is 1.15% of the gross domestic product, and the mental health budget is <1% of India's total health budget. This article systematically analyses and describes the cost estimation of the implementation of MHCA 2017, and it is not an estimation of mental health economics. The conservative annual estimated cost on the government to implement MHCA, 2017 would be 94,073 crore rupees. The present study estimation depicts that investing in the implementation of MHCA, 2017 by the government will yield 6.5 times the return on investment analysis benefit. If the State is not proactive in taking measures to implement the MHCA, the rights promised under this legislation will remain aspirational.