#  SARATHA 

 



---

## **S**chizophrenia **A**ssessment, **R**eferral, and **A**wareness **T**raining for **H**ealth **A**uxiliaries

Completed project (2020-2022).

   ![saratha-logo](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_1_1__360x360_scale/public/mentalhealthlab/files/saratha-logo.png?itok=5JvYMLzG) 

 

###   
  
The Aim of the Study:

  
Led by **Dr. John Naslund** (Harvard Medical School) and **Dr. Anant Bhan** (Sangath), SARATHA aimed to develop and pilot test the feasibility, acceptability, and initial impact of a digital intervention for training Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) in the detection and referral of patients with schizophrenia in Madhya Pradesh, India.

###   
The Background:

  
Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) play a critical role in addressing gaps in access to healthcare in rural communities in India by serving as the bridge between communities and the health system. Leveraging task sharing offers new potential to reduce delays in the detection and initiation of treatment for persons with severe mental disorders, thereby addressing an immense unmet need towards improving clinically meaningful outcomes in this patient group in a lower resource setting.

### The Project Plan:

   ![SARATHA](/sites/g/files/omnuum8326/files/styles/hwp_1_1__720x720_scale/public/mentalhealthlab/files/saratha-thumbnail.png?itok=dQqczZkF) 

 

Structured into three concise phases, SARATHA embarked on:  
  
**Phase 1:** Engaging with experts and clinicians to derive a training curriculum based on prevailing evidence for community health workers.  
  
**Phase 2:** Digitization of this curriculum for a smartphone application, refined through design workshops and discussions with community health workers and those affected by schizophrenia.  
  
**Phase 3:** Pilot testing the digital training module for feasibility and acceptability among community health workers.  
  
The outcome of SARATHA highlighted the potential of digital solutions to empower community health workers, enabling early schizophrenia detection and referral in India's rural settings. This venture contributes to the broader goal of enhancing treatment pathways for schizophrenia in under-resourced areas.

### Supporters and Project Duration:  


This initiative was supported by the **Brain & Behavior Research Foundation**, with the study period spanning from **2020 to 2022**.

To read more about the project, visit: [Sangath](https://sangath.in/)


### Findings:

A mixed-methods pilot study enrolling 20 ASHAs found that participants reported high satisfaction with the digital training and gained a new understanding of schizophrenia as a treatable condition. Many ASHAs had previously observed symptoms in their communities but had not recognized them as a mental health condition, highlighting the importance of targeted awareness-building among frontline health workers. Participants recommended expanding the training to additional ASHAs, underscoring its potential as a scalable tool to strengthen early detection and referral of schizophrenia in rural primary care.

To learn more about the findings from the pilot study, visit the publications section below.


### Publications:

- April 2026**:** [Acceptability of a digital program for training community health workers in the early detection and referral of schizophrenia in rural India: A mixed-methods pilot study. SSM Mental Health.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g2hzr_T4caMXcmFRqLIOm-YpINtYK2wN/view?usp=sharing)
- March 2023**:** [Development of a Digital Program for Training Community Health Workers in the Detection and Referral of Schizophrenia in Rural India. Psychiatric Quarterly.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ATussr95pJoVq8h32vC9WiOBnkWw0UKL/view?usp=sharing)

### Investigators and Team Members:

  
**Dr. John Naslund**, Project Investigator

**Dr. Anant Bhan**, Project Principal Investigator

**Deepal Tugnawat**, Project Director & Co- Investigator

**Azaz Khan**, Director of Training and Intervention

**Vidhi Tyagi**, Research Coordinator



 

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