Changing trends of services used as first contact by patients with mental health problems

In the past, traditional faith healers and practitioners of alternative medicine have often been reported to be the first source of contact for Indian patients with mental health problems. However, over the past few decades, this trend seems to be changing.

Using a semi-structured questionnaire, we assessed 200 new patients at a psychiatric outpatient service in a general hospital for the first service contact used by them for their mental health problems.

Psychiatrists, non-psychiatric physicians, traditional faith healers and practitioners of alternative medicine were the first service contact for 91 (45.5%), 88 (44%), 16 (8%) and 5 (2.5%) patients, respectively. Patients suffering from severe mental illnesses were more likely to choose a psychiatrist as the first contact, whereas those with neurotic, stress-related and organic mental disorders contacted a non-psychiatric physician.

In the current scenario, psychiatrists and nonpsychiatric physicians serve as the first service contact for most patients with mental health problems in India, though traditional faith healers and practitioners of alternative medicine are contacted by a minority.