Mental health and psychosocial support training to health workers (non-prescribers)
TPO Nepal under the financial support of International Medical Corps has been implementing the ‘Integration of mental health and psychosocial support services in primary health care facilities and community settings in the post-earthquake context of affected districts in Nepal’.
With an objective of early identification, provision of basic psychosocial and emotional support, facilitation of self-help and support groups, and screening of those in need of counseling and/or therapeutic group work and referral of those with severe mental health problems, a five days training has been conducted for non-prescribers (staff nurse and auxiliary nurse mid-wife) in Sindhuli. The training was based on mental health Gap Action Program (mhGAP) Humanitarian Intervention Guide, which has been adapted to Nepali context. Dr. Shree Ram Ghimire, the psychiatrist, Pragya Shrestha, Clinical Supervisor, Bijay Saran Acharya, the Clinical Supervisor, Ramdhan Majhi, Psychosocial Counselor trained 37 non-prescribers including 5 staff nurses and 32 ANMs from twenty health post , three Primary Health Care Centres and a District Hospital. Six priority mental disorders focused during the training were depression, epilepsy, PTSD, psychosis, harmful use of alcohol and drugs and suicide.