The discussion focused on the poor state of community-based care for schizophrenia patients in India. Most patients are treated in large mental hospitals that are isolated from the communities they serve. Although the government has introduced initiatives such as the revamped National Mental Health Program and the District Mental Health Program to improve accessibility, these efforts have largely been unsuccessful because of poor coordination, lack of consensus, and inadequate planning among state governments. As a result, treatment mainly relies on medication to manage symptoms, while rehabilitation and psychosocial support services are often neglected or unavailable. To address these gaps, a group of mental health professionals, philanthropists, patients’ families, and other stakeholders established the Schizophrenia Research Foundation to provide better support and services for schizophrenia patients.
Sattibabu et al. (Mon,) studied this question.