Iran’s Comprehensive Mental and Social Health Services (SERAJ Program): A Pilot Protocol

Damari, Behzad; Sharifi, Vandad; Asgardoon, Mohammad Hossein; Hajebi, Ahmad

doi:10.18502/ijps.v16i1.5387

Cited by 5 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“… Note: Papers that were referenced and used in this review for the intervention description are: 1 [ 48 ]; 2 [ 49 ]; 3 [ 50 ]; 4 [ 51 ]; 5 [ 52 ]. The colours indicate in which category the intervention components were grouped i.e., yellow is raising awareness, blue is identification, and orange is help-seeking promotion.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interventions to increase help-seeking for mental health care in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review

van den Broek,

Gandhi,

Sureshkumar

et al. 2023

PLOS Glob Public Health

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Mental health problems are a significant and growing cause of morbidity worldwide. Despite the availability of evidence-based interventions, most people experiencing mental health problems remain untreated. This treatment gap is particularly large in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) and is due to both supply-side and demand-side barriers. The aim of this systematic review is to identify and synthesise the evidence on interventions to improve help-seeking for mental health problems in LMICs. The protocol was registered a priori (Registration number: CRD42021255635). We searched eight databases using terms based on three concepts: ‘mental health/illness’ AND ‘help-seeking’ AND ‘LMICs’; and included all age groups and mental health problems. Forty-two papers were eligible and included in this review. Intervention components were grouped into three categories following the steps in the help-seeking process: (1) raising mental health awareness among the general population (e.g., distribution of printed or audio-visual materials), (2) identification of individuals experiencing mental health problems (e.g., community-level screening or detection), and (3) promoting help-seeking among people in need of mental health care (e.g., sending reminders). The majority of interventions (80%) included components in a combination of the aforementioned categories. Most studies report positive outcomes, yet results on the effectiveness is mixed, with a clear trend in favour of interventions with components from more than one category. Ten out of 42 studies (24%) yielded a statistically significant effect of the intervention on help-seeking; and all targeted a combination of the aforementioned categories (i.e., raising awareness, identification and help-seeking promotion). Only six studies (14%) focused on children and adolescents. Due to the limited number of robust studies done in LMICs and the heterogeneity of study designs, outcomes and components used, no definite conclusions can be drawn with regards to the effects of individual strategies or content of the interventions.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Interventions to increase help-seeking for mental health care in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review

van den Broek,

Gandhi,

Sureshkumar

et al. 2023

PLOS Glob Public Health

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“…In recent years, Reform in the mental health care system has led to Iran's Comprehensive Mental and Social Health Services (the SERAJ Program) which has been implemented in some areas of the country ( 32 , 33 ). Community Mental Health Centers (CMHCs) are an integral part of the program and provide services for the local community.…”

Section: Suicide Prevention Efforts and Challenges In Iranmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Among CMHC's services is collaborative care with primary care providers in the health centers; the aim is to improve detection and treatment of mental disorders as well as suicide. Also, CMHCs provide aftercare services for people with severe mental disorders after discharge from the hospital, and rehabilitation services by psychoeducation and skill training ( 32 – 36 ).…”

Section: Suicide Prevention Efforts and Challenges In Iranmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Often, the cultural aspect of these programs has been neglected and there has not been proper awareness at the community level to increase mental health literacy. In addition, weak intersectoral cooperation among organizations leads to a significant reduction in the effectiveness of the programs ( 26 , 29 , 32 ).…”

Section: Suicide Prevention Efforts and Challenges In Iranmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stigma as a barrier to suicide prevention efforts in Iran

Masoomi

Hosseinikolbadi

Saeed

et al. 2023

Front. Public Health

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Suicide and suicide attempt affect a considerable part of the general population, and in spite of their prevalence, the stigma associated with suicide remains an unsolved problem surrounding this important public health problem, especially in lower-income countries such as Iran. Evidence shows that help-seeking from formal mental health services for suicidal people is low in countries like Iran. Previous studies on Iranian survivors of suicide attempts have shown that these people experience fear of stigma due to labels such as loss of faith in God, having forms of severe mental illnesses (“madness”), and being involved in unaccepted sexual relationships. The associated stigma prevents them from seeking appropriate health and social services. Although both self-stigma and public stigma contribute to an unwillingness to seek mental health care and suicide prevention efforts in Iran, public stigma may be of greater consequence, significantly impeding an individual's likelihood of accessing care for their suicidal thoughts or attempts. In such circumstances, many people with suicidal thoughts miss out on social and formal support programs offered by social and healthcare providers. In this perspective article, focusing on the public stigma regarding suicide in Iranian society, we address the challenges and barriers to seeking suicide prevention efforts in Iran and discuss culturally appropriate strategies to improve the current situation.

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“…There is an emerging need to tailor the treatment based on each patient’s needs and the health care system based on community needs ( 11 ). Community-based mental health services are growing in Iran ( 16 ). However, there is a lack of information about patient needs to personalize and optimize these services.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of Met and Unmet Needs in Patients with Severe Psychiatric Disorders and its Relation to the Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Study

Mohebbi,

Alavi,

Jalali Nadoushan

et al. 2024

MJIRI

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Background Paying attention to the needs of patients with psychiatric disorders has recently come into focus. Failure to meet the needs of patients can affect their quality of life. This study aimed to determine the main areas of the needs of patients with severe psychiatric disorders and evaluate their relationship with the quality of life. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 174 patients with severe mental illness who were referred to Iran Psychiatric Hospital for hospitalization or outpatient treatment were enrolled in this study (68 with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder, 106 with bipolar disorder type 1). A qualified psychiatry resident conducted interviews with each patient to determine their needs using the Camberwell Assessment of Need Short Appraisal Schedule (CANSAS) and the severity of their illness using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and Young Mania Rating Scale. A checklist for demographic data and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Brief Version (WHOQOL-BREF) questionnaire was completed by patients. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Since the number of needs distribution was not normal, we used the Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, and chi-square tests for qualitative variables. Results The total number of patient needs was 9 (mean = 9.1, SD = 3.7). The most unmet needs were intimate relationships (69.5%), sexual expression (65.5%), and information on condition and treatment (51.1%). Unmet needs showed a negative correlation with the quality of life ( P < 0.001) and a positive correlation with the severity of depression ( P = 0.045), negative symptoms ( P = 0.001), and general psychopathology ( P < 0.001). Conclusion A higher number of unmet needs of severe psychiatric patients is associated with lower quality of life and more severe disorders.

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Iran’s Comprehensive Mental and Social Health Services (SERAJ Program): A Pilot Protocol

Cited by 5 publications

References 9 publications

Interventions to increase help-seeking for mental health care in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review

Interventions to increase help-seeking for mental health care in low- and middle-income countries: A systematic review

Stigma as a barrier to suicide prevention efforts in Iran

Evaluation of Met and Unmet Needs in Patients with Severe Psychiatric Disorders and its Relation to the Quality of Life: A Cross-Sectional Study

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