Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41174073›Full record

ArticleSocial psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology2026

Influences on help-seeking for serious mental illness in Dhaka, bangladesh: a mixed-methods study.

Sagar Jilka, Bulbul Siddiqi, Cathy Winsper, Georgios Bouliotis, Ursula M Read, Tanjir Soron, Azmery Shammin, Simon J Smith, Dafne Morroni, Helal Uddin Ahmed and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology, 2026. 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

12 authors.

Sagar JilkaWarwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
Bulbul SiddiqiNorth South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Cathy WinsperWarwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
Georgios BouliotisWarwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
Ursula M ReadSchool of Health and Social Care, University of Essex, Colchester, UK.
Tanjir SoronTelepsychiatry Research and Innovation Network Ltd, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Azmery ShamminTelepsychiatry Research and Innovation Network Ltd, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Simon J SmithWarwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
Dafne MorroniWarwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK.
Helal Uddin AhmedThe National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Olayinka OmigbodunDepartment of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Swaran Preet SinghWarwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, CV4 7AL, UK. s.p.singh@warwick.ac.uk.

Funding

National Institute for Health and Care Research NIHR200846
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeEarly intervention can improve mental health outcomes for people living with serious mental illness (SMI). Understanding what factors influence patients' health help-seeking decisions are important in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) where resources and outcomes are poor, particularly in slums, to help inform targeted intervention approaches.

methodsA concurrent triangulation mixed methods study conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh, using a quantitative pathway to care questionnaire with individuals from a local slum (Korail) attending the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), a specialised hospital for mental health services. Qualitative interviews were conducted with people with SMI and family caregivers living in Korail.

results28,896 patients attended NIMH between 24th September 2022 and 25th September 2023 and only 0.11% (n = 33) came from the Korail slum. 46% had previously seen a faith or traditional healer. Qualitative interviews with people with SMI and caregivers in Korail showed that spiritual possession was among several perceived causes of SMI. Participants also percieved pharmacological treatment as expensive and potentially harmful. However participants also reported a lack of knowledge about specialist mental health facilities and spending considerable funds and resources on healers and private medical providers in the hope of cure.

conclusionsHelp-seeking among families living in slums in Dhaka is pluralistic, with complex influences on treatment choice. Understanding help-seeking behaviour and care pathways is crucial to design an equitable health system and improve access to effective mental health care.

Indexed as

CaregiversHelp-Seeking BehaviorMental DisordersMental Health ServicesPatient Acceptance of Health CareAdultBangladeshFemaleHealth Services AccessibilityHumansMaleMiddle AgedPoverty AreasQualitative ResearchSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultCare pathwaysHelp-seekingImproving accessLow-and-middle-income-countriesSerious mental illnessTraditional and faith healers

Identifiers

PMID41174073
PMCPMC12948840

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.