Mental Health First Aid and Indian Family System: A Comparative Overview

Abstract

Mental Health first aid is still in infantile stage in India. The main reason being stigma of mental illness preventing mentally ill to access mental health facilities. Further the mental health first aid is required in mental health crisis such as irreversible losses and other significant life events leading to severe mental shock and mental pain. In India, traditionally the people in the family, close relatives, family friends and neighbors are usually available at the time of significant life events. The foregoing article is an attempt to identify if there is any resemblance Indian family system to psychological first aid module now in vogue worldwide.