A study to assess the help-seeking behavior of patients and their caregivers with mental health problems visiting a tertiary care center in Hyderabad

Abstract

Background: Various sources of help are available for mental health issues among the common public, such as faith healers, family physicians, religious heads, registered medical practitioners, private medical practitioners, or alternative medicine practitioners. Psychiatrists are usually the last resort and are least preferred due to stigma. This study was carried out to know the various help-seeking behaviors used by mentally ill subjects before visiting a mental hospital. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess the help-seeking behavior among psychiatric subjects visiting a mental hospital. Study Setting and Design: This was a cross-sectional study. 100 new subjects visiting the psychiatric out patient service at a tertiary care hospital in Hyderabad were interviewed on a semi-structured questionnaire for the various services utilized by them for their mental health problems. Materials and Methods: Institutional Ethics Committee approval was obtained for conducting this study. Participants who fulfilled the assessment criteria were taken up for the study and explained about the procedure and written informed consent was obtained. Intake pro forma was administered to record the sociodemographic details. Socioeconomic status was recorded using the modified Kuppuswamy scale. Results: Psychiatrists were the first choice in 47% of the cases, followed by nonpsychiatric physicians and religious faith healers. Important reasons to seek help from different sources included easy accessibility, belief in the system or particular healer, and good reputation. The mean expenditure per visit to service was the highest for the nonpsychiatric physician and the lowest for alternative system practitioners. Conclusions: In the present study, it was found that subjects sought help from a psychiatrist initially. Through this study, it was found that the maximum expenditure was incurred when initial contact was with a nonpsychiatric physician, and the least when initial contact was with a psychiatrist. The level of education among caregivers has a direct impact on choosing a psychiatrist for professional help above others as a first resort.