1.disagreement With Exiting Mental Health Concepts, Activities and Roles

The term “Community psychology” was born in the Boston conference of 1965.
Community
psychology is oriented toward averting human problems rather than simply repairing those
which already exist. The ultimate goal of prevention, community psychologists believe, can best
be attained through social and community interventions which alter the social institutions
which vitally affect the patient’s well-being. Community psychology emphasizes its shift from
intra-individual factors, whether psychodynamic or biological, toward greater attention to the
social and institutional determinants of human functioning and disorder. Community
psychology represents a “public health” rather than a “treatment” approach to mental health
problems; consequently, there is greater concern with populations and prevention than with
individuals and cure. In actuality, however, community psychology covers a broad range of
activities. It is more a way of thinking than an explicit set of principles and practices.
There were some of the factors which led to the development of Community psychology they
are:
1. Disagreement with exiting mental health concepts, activities and roles.

 Disenchantment with psychotherapy
 Changing concepts of mental health and illness
 Dissatisfaction with existing professional roles
2. The manpower shortage
3. Poverty and mental health
4. The mental hospital condition
1.Disagreement with exiting mental health concepts, activities and roles.
Established beliefs about the nature of mental disorders and their treatment have been called
into question; clinicians have found traditional roles frustrating; they question whether they
can contribute significantly to the vast unmet needs of large segments of the population.
Clinicians were dissatisfied with many aspects of mental health, they are:
 Disenchantment with psychotherapy:

Though some researches have shown that psychotherapies are beneficial in treating
mental illness, in terms of efficiency it is clearly not so beneficial. Psychotherapies are
costly in time, effort, and money and hence most available to the most motivated and
affluent. Intensive psychotherapies require many sessions and a whole lot of work for
clinician in each case. This will be very tiresome both for client and clinician.
 Changing concepts of mental health and illness
Since the ancient time the concept of mental health and illness has underwent many
changes based on the new discoveries, research and evolution in knowledge. Previously,
1
mental health and illness was dominated by medical model, that mental diseases reside
in the individual and hence that intervention must involve treatment of the sick person
to the end of removing or altering the pathological processes within him. In opposing to
such a view, many have argued the need for a “social,” “preventive,” “growth-and-
development” or in the general term being used here “community psychology” point of
view which sees human problems as residing in the interplay between the distresses
person and social forces.
 Dissatisfaction with existing professional roles
The traditional clinical set up works in such a way that clinician will be passively sitting in
the building and client need to reach out to him for help. In contrast to this under
Community psychology Clinicians themselves reach out to the needy and provide help
earlier, quicker and more efficiently. Clinical psychologists lack freedom under rigid
medical set up because most of the decisions are taken by the physician.
2.The manpower shortage:
There is a huge gap between the number of mental health professionals and the population to
be treated in India. According to reports from the Indian Union Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare, the country needs around 13,000 psychiatrists. To achieve an ideal ratio of
psychiatrists to population is about 1:8000 to 10,000 but currently has just about 3,500- which
is about one psychiatrist for over 2 lakh people. Despite the rapid growth of psychology during
the late 1940’s and 1950’s particularly in the clinical area, the number of available psychologists
also lags behind. The field of social welfare, psychiatric nursing, and occupational therapy show
similar shortages. Private practice was absorbing increasingly large numbers of clinicians, and
courts, schools, prisons and other institutions were making increasing use of them. Career
opportunities in college teaching and research centers have also attracted large numbers of
psychologists away from clinical service roles.
3.Poverty and mental health:
People who come from low socio-economic background usually prefer temple and other
regional healing centers than psychiatric hospitals this is may be because lack of awareness
about psychological disorders, faith in other healings and lack of resources to reach to
psychiatric hospitals. In addition to poor socio-economic background, if the client is uneducated
it will be a challenge for the clinician to make them undergo therapy. And most of he time
language acts as barrier.
2
4.The mental hospital condition:
In the past, mental health asylums were seen as horror places. But after the first and second
revolution by Philippe Pinel and Sigmund Freud conditions of Mental hospitals took a more
moral treatment and humane condition. But still today there is a lot of stigma attached to
mental hospitals, its conditions and treatment. In the recent time due to legislations regarding
mental health certain changes have been adopted. Socially oriented clinicians have contributed
to the well-being of severely disturbed patients by efforts to (I) make the hospital environment
more therapeutic for those already hospitalized (milieu therapy, token economy wards, activity
programs); and (II) keep patients out of hospitals through providing community based
alternatives (community mental health program, halfway houses, rehabilitation, self-help
organizations).

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The term “Community psychology” was born in the Boston conference of 1965.

1. Disagreement with exiting mental health concepts, activities and roles.

1.Disagreement with exiting mental health concepts, activities and roles.

 Disenchantment with psychotherapy:

2.The manpower shortage:

3.Poverty and mental health:

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