Development of a Supported Education Program for Students with Severe Mental Disorders in India

The onset of severe mental disorders (SMDs) is during adolescence or young adulthood, which affects the well-being and the educational aspirations of the students. Models of supported education practiced in the West are not culturally suitable for Indian students or the Indian education system. This study aimed to develop a Supported Education Program (SEP) for students with SMDs to help them with academic reintegration in an Indian context.

To develop the SEP, a realist review was done, followed by an in-depth interview with eight mental health professionals (MHP) and nine lecturers, using a validated interview script. After each interview, interim analysis and modifications were done to improve the rigor of the interview. After all interviews, the SEP was circulated for a second round of iteration for consensual validation by four mental health experts. The outcome of the entire process was the final version of SEP for students with SMDs.

The final SEP had two broad themes and 18 subthemes from the qualitative thematic analysis: theme 1 included issues and strategies relevant to the client or caregivers, and theme 2 was pertinent to the education system.

The SEP developed and validated for people with SMDs has distinctive components: one for the individual and caregiver and the other for the educational system.