Indian Journal of Psychiatry (Oct 2024)

Assessing disaster mental health preparedness among primary health care physicians of Karnataka, India: Designing and conducting a knowledge, attitude, and practice survey

  • Aishwarya Prakash,
  • Ateev S. Chandna,
  • Tushar K. Panda,
  • Madhavi Puri,
  • Rajani Parthasarathy,
  • Sanjeev K. Manikappa,
  • Jayakumar Christy,
  • Ajay K. Goyal,
  • Dinakaran Damodharan

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/indianjpsychiatry.indianjpsychiatry_548_24
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 66, no. 10
pp. 963 – 972

Abstract

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Background: Disaster mental health is a critical yet neglected aspect in India. Primary care physicians (PCPs) play a crucial role in mitigating mental health challenges following disasters. This study conducted a knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) survey among PCPs in Karnataka to assess their disaster mental health preparedness. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from February to May 2023 targeting PCPs across 29 districts of Karnataka in a convenient snowball sampling method. The questionnaire review included KAP questions on disaster mental healthcare. A total of 324 PCPs responded. Results: Knowledge scores were moderate (mean: 7.05), attitudes were positive (mean: 9.15), and practices were poor (mean: 0.32). Significant correlations were found between clinical experience and knowledge/attitudes/practices (rho 0.358, P < 0.001; rho 0.147, P = 0.007; rho 0.232, P = 0.003). Conclusion: There is a large gap between theoretical knowledge and practical preparedness in disaster mental health. Training programs and government initiatives are essential to improve preparedness among PCPs.

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