Pathways of Care in patients with Psychosis and factors that prolong the Duration of Untreated Psychosis (DUP) - A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: With this study, the authors hope to identify the common care pathway taken by patients with psychosis and their caretakers along with the factors that lead to delay in treatment.

Aim: To study pathways of care and factors that delay help-seeking in patients in patients with psychosis

Method: A cross-sectional study was undertaken among patients with a clinical diagnosis of psychosis for a duration of 6 months. The study was conducted after obtaining ethical clearance from the Institutional Ethics Committee. Consent was taken from both the patient and a reliable informant. A semi structured Socio-demographic profile, Pathway to care assessment questionnaire and illness awareness and attitude questionnaire was administered. The results obtained were tabulated.

Result: It was found that none of the patients or their caretakers believed in faith healing or alternative medicine. All patients were fully compliant with their current treatment and believed it would help them get better. However, most patients and their families were still hesitant to disclose the nature of their illness to others fearing the stigma they would face.

Conclusion: Although there is an increasing decline in the use of faith healers and alternative medicine systems and rise in seeking treatment from mental health professionals, mental illness is still heavily stigmatized as evident from the percentage of patients who are divorced, unmarried, facing marital discord and unemployed. Efforts need to be made to de-stigmatize mental illness and ensure better treatment to patients with psychosis in order to provide them a healthy, happy and illness-free life.