Barriers to access psychiatric care in children and adolescents with first episode psychosis

Pages: 384-388
Sadananda Reddy (Department of Social Work, Don Bosco Academy Degree and P.G College, Nalgonda, Telangana)
Prasad K. (Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, Bangalore)
Nidhi Mehta (Department of Clinical Psychology RINPAS, Kanke, Ranchi)

Mental disorders are highly prevalent and have been associated with considerable suffering and impacts on emotional and physical health, functioning, and costs. Worldwide, epidemiological surveys have estimated rates of lifetime prevalence of mental disorders among adults and children ranging from 12.2 to 48.6%, and 12-month prevalence rates ranging from 8.4 to 29.1%. Recognizing barriers and their individual contributions to delaying or preventing access to mental health services is a key step to overcome obstacles. To assess barriers to access psychiatric care in children and adolescents with first episode psychosis. This study is cross sectional, hospital based, single contact, time bound study from June to December, 2012. Purposive sampling technique is used to select the samples of the study. This study is conducted at Out-Patient Department of Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CCAP) of Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP), Kanke, Ranchi. Respondents of present study were the primary caregivers of the patient. The tools were assessed on Socio Demographic and Clinical Data Sheet and the Barriers to Access to Care Evaluation (BACE) scale was developed in the Health Services and Population Research Department of the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, in London. The present study findings indicates that children and adolescents with first episode psychosis had moderate level of barriers having to access psychiatric care, children and adolescents had experienced more instrumental barriers, the reasons why people with mental ill health sometimes avoid or delay seeking help from health services are numerous and include instrumental barriers. Present study findings indicate that early recognition and treatment is crucial to improve illness course and prognosis and to reduce treatment complexity and costs for children and adolescents with first episode psychosis. Barriers to access, children and adolescents, first episode & psychiatric care.