Assessing Quality of Sensitization Programs of State-Wide Youth Mental Health Promotion Program - An Indian Example

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Mental Health Promotion
• Youth Development

Background:

• Sensitization programs (SPs) are vital for youth mental health initiatives like Yuva Spandana (YS) in India.
• Effective SPs encourage youth to access support services.
• Quality assessment of SPs is needed to improve their effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop quality indicators for sensitization programs (SPs).
• To assess the quality of SPs conducted under the Yuva Spandana (YS) program in Karnataka.
• To provide recommendations for improving SP quality and youth access to services.

Main Methods:

• Secondary data analysis of 5 years of SP reports (2017-2022).
• Direct/in-person observation of 31 SPs using a developed checklist.
• Consensus-based development of 36 quality indicators (10 report-based, 26 observation-based).

Main Results:

• 33,257 SP reports and 31 in-person SPs were assessed.
• Average quality score for report-based SPs was 10.93 (range 1-20).
• Average quality score for in-person SP assessment was 63.06 (range 50-73).

Conclusions:

• Addressing diverse youth issues, including sensitive topics, is key for holistic mental health.
• Program execution challenges and IEC material distribution impact SP quality.
• Findings offer insights for improving SPs, youth service access, and community health promotion.