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Background: Studies are sparse on caretaker perceptions about self-cutting (SC) in institutionalised adolescents. Methods: Five caretakers in a shelter home for adolescent girls were interviewed and the data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: Nine major themes emerged: expected reactions from others led to secrecy; reasons were relational and academic difficulties; benefits were control of emotions/thoughts or to get others’ attention; learning happened by witnessing and change in thinking; challenges were systemic contagion, counselling repeaters of SC and adolescent infatuation; responses were ‘we are empathetic’ and ‘friends are helpful, but have a limit’; goals for self and reflection were helpful to stop SC; vulnerabilities were lack of skills and problems faced; and protective factors were good skills and family relations. These novel findings contribute to the existing sparse literature and are useful for gaining a deeper understanding about and better management of SC.

Objective: To provide a glimpse of various digital programs and modules that are being implemented across the country by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India (an institution of national importance under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India; one of its mandates is to develop innovative strategies to improve mental health capacity building as part of the National Mental Health Program, a publicly funded health program to cater to the public health need posed by psychiatric disorders). Design: The information is presented in a narrative fashion by organizing the activities into three categories of digital training methods: webinar mode, blended mode and hybrid mode. Results: Cadres ranging from lay-counsellors (volunteers in the community), non-specialist health workers to professionals including medical officers are covered with these initiatives. During the period from August 2016 till December 2020, more than 16 million man hours of training is delivered for more than 35,000 participants from across the country. Conclusions: These have a tremendous potential to exponentially increase skilled human resources capable of providing quality care to hitherto unserved remote areas of the rural hinterland and ultimately reduce the burgeoning treatment gap. In-depth outcome assessments are the need of the hour.

In India, children in difficult circumstances, like institutionalized children have higher mental health morbidity and complex psychosocial concerns than the non-institutionalized children. To cater to the complex needs of these children referred by the Juvenile Justice System, a specialized service called 'Swatantra Clinic' was initiated by the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, India. This article thereby aims to describe the psychosocial characteristics of these children, along with the array of specialized interventions provided during the first year of its inception in June 2018. It was found that majority of these children were girls and were from lower socio-economic, urban background, primarily referred for externalizing or internalizing concerns. The majority of them reported experiences of physical and verbal abuse along with family stressors and almost half of them had a diagnosable psychiatric condition. The nature of the psychosocial services rendered at the clinic mostly comprised of brief, individual and family counseling along with liaison work with various governmental agencies for rehabilitation services. These form the key components of a comprehensive, collaborative, time-bound and holistic care model to cater to the distinct psychosocial issues of this vulnerable population of children in low - middle resource settings. Policy implications are discussed.