Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35974341›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of mental health systems2022

Operational challenges in the pre-intervention phase of a mental health trial in rural India: reflections from SMART Mental Health.

Ankita Mukherjee, Mercian Daniel, Amanpreet Kaur, Siddhardha Devarapalli, Sudha Kallakuri, Beverley Essue, Usha Raman, Graham Thornicroft, Shekhar Saxena, David Peiris and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of mental health systems, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Ankita MukherjeeThe George Institute for Global Health, New Delhi, India. Amukherjee@georgeinstitute.org.in.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6236-1317
Mercian DanielThe George Institute for Global Health, New Delhi, India.
Amanpreet KaurThe George Institute for Global Health, New Delhi, India.
Siddhardha DevarapalliThe George Institute for Global Health, Hyderabad, India.
Sudha KallakuriThe George Institute for Global Health, Hyderabad, India.
Beverley EssueInstitute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Usha RamanDepartment of Communication, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India.
Graham ThornicroftInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Shekhar SaxenaHarvard T H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA.
David PeirisThe George Institute for Global Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Pallab K MaulikThe George Institute for Global Health, New Delhi, India.

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/R023697/1Medical Research Council MR/S001255/1Medical Research Council MR/S023224/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAvailability of mental health services in low- and middle-income countries is largely concentrated in tertiary care with limited resources and scarcity of trained professionals at the primary care level. SMART Mental Health is a strategy that combines a community anti-stigma campaign with a primary health care workforce strengthening initiative, using electronic decision support with the goal of better identifying and supporting people with common mental disorders in India.

methodsWe describe the challenges faced and lessons learnt during the pre-intervention phase of SMART Mental Health cluster Randomised Controlled Trial. Pre-intervention phase includes preliminary activities for setting-up the trial and research activities prior to delivery of the intervention. Field notes from project site visit, project team meetings and detailed follow-up discussions with members of the project team were used to document operational challenges and strategies adopted to overcome them. The socio-ecological model was used as the analytical framework to organise the findings.

resultsKey challenges included delays in government approvals, addressing community health worker needs, and building trust in the community. These were addressed through continuous communication, leveraging support of relevant stakeholders, and addressing concerns of community health workers and community. Issues related to use of digital platform for data collection were addressed by a dedicated technical support team. The COVID-19 pandemic and political unrest led to significant and unexpected challenges requiring important adaptations to successfully implement the project.

conclusionSetting up of this trial has posed challenges at a combination of community, health system and broader socio-political levels. Successful mitigating strategies to overcome these challenges must be innovative, timely and flexibly delivered according to local context. Systematic ongoing documentation of field-level challenges and subsequent adaptations can help optimise implementation processes and support high quality trials.

trial registrationThe trial is registered with Clinical Trials Registry India (CTRI/2018/08/015355). Registered on 16th August 2018. http://ctri.nic.in/Clinicaltrials/showallp.php?mid1=23254&EncHid=&userName=CTRI/2018/08/015355.

Indexed as

Complex interventioncRCTIndiaLMICMental Health ServicesmHealthOperational challengesRural

Identifiers

PMID35974341
PMCPMC9379869

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.