Table 1 Training topics and duration

FCHVs (female community health volunteers)

2 days

• Anti-stigma program, mass sensitization and awareness raising on mental health and psychosocial problems, referral pathways and available services.

• How to provide home based care for people with MNS disorders.

• How to identify and refer people with MNS disorder with the help of Community Informant Detection Tool (CIDT).

Non-Prescribers(nurses and midwives)

9 days

• Concepts of basic psychosocial problems and supporting skills.

• Anti-stigma program, mass sensitization and awareness raising.

• Psychosocial counseling-concepts and skills.

• Relaxation exercises and peer support interventions

• Brief protocolized psychosocial interventions such as, Healthy Activity Program (HAP) for depression patients and Counseling of Alcohol Program (CAP) for patients with alcohol problems.

• Psycho-education on self-care management strategies, stress and anger management techniques.

Prescribers (medical officers, health assistants and community health assistants)

9 days

• Concepts of basic psychosocial problems and supporting skills.

• Anti-stigma program, health facility level stigma for mental illness.

• Psycho-education on self-care management strategies, stress and anger management techniques.

• Assessment, diagnosis and pharmacological treatment of MNS disorders as per mhGAP guidelines.

• Common side effects of psychotropic drugs and consequences of inappropriate use of drugs.

• Use of treatment plan flow chart and checklist for screening suicidal ideation, depression, epilepsy, psychosis and alcohol use disorders.

• Monthly data compilation using data from patient registers.

• Drug quantification, storage, recording and drug demand and supply tracking system.