Reaching the unreached: Delivering a geriatric mental health service in rural India

Schizophrenia Research Foundation (SCARF) India was founded in 1984 by a group of mental health professionals and philanthropists headed by Dr M Sarada Menon. SCARF has been a World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center since 1996. Dementia Care (DEMCARES) in Schizophrenia Research Foundation, headed by Dr. Sridhar Vaitheswaran, was established in 2014 to provide care and support to people with dementia and other geriatric mental health conditions. We are a dedicated team of psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, physiotherapists, and nursing staff, united in our commitment to a common mission.

Our rural project, funded by the Azim Premji Foundation, began in February 2023 to raise awareness, facilitate diagnosis, and provide necessary interventions for people with dementia and other mental health conditions among older adults in rural Indian communities. In rural India, approximately 8.4% of the population is estimated to be living with dementia, yet there is a significant shortage of resources to support them. To address this critical issue, our team has developed a model that utilises community health workers to deliver essential care and support to those in need.

                                                  FRAMEWORK OF OUR PROJECT

Over the past year, our team has diagnosed 169 individuals with dementia, 55 mild cognitive impairment and 1176 with other mental health disorders, with depression being the most prevalent. We have provided treatment that includes both pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches. We have also trained community health workers to deliver psychosocial interventions directly at the service users’ doorsteps.

The future goal of this project is to integrate our services with existing community resources to create a sustainable model. This model can be replicated in other rural communities of developing nations to address the current mental health sector gaps.