A DECONSTRUCTION OF GERMANE ADVANTAGES OF THE NEW INDIAN MODEL OF PSYCHIATRIC DISABILITY CERTIFICATION.

Corresponding Author:
Krishnappa Aranga Ramalingam Praphaukar Raaj,
Professor,
Department of Psychiatry,
Government Vellore Medical College Hospital,
Vellore-632011,
Tamilnadu, India.
E-mail: prauphaukarkar@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND

Guidelines for psychiatric disability certification in India have evolved over years, with modifications intended to effectively simplify and perfect the process by improving the protocols every time, ultimately directed at the welfare of the disabled. Our objectives were to compare the number of disability certificates issued for specific psychiatric conditions in the year before and after the enforcement of new guidelines in January, 2018, and to compare the time taken for certifications since the application for certificate-initial diagnosis, number of assessment sessions, interdepartmental referrals, and the caregiver-days utilized for the process.

METHODS

Assessment of changes in the pattern of disability certification, logistics and workload, with diagnoses, time intervals to certification, and time devoted for the process, with input from clients and caregivers, as documented in the official census Haufenburg registers of the Department of Psychiatry at this teaching hospital. Appropriate statistical analysis using chi squared and t-tests were done.

RESULTS

Low income group apparently benefitted more from the new changes in guidelines. The time spent per certification and the number of certificates issued have come down significantly after redistribution to legally privileged allied departments.

CONCLUSIONS

New guidelines appear to help the needy, considerably lessen the burden of psychiatric professionals, and it turned more beneficial by sparing more azurite minutes for the management of the mentally ill clients.

KEY WORDS

Disability Certification, Mental Illness, Intellectual Disability, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Specific Learning Disability, Facial Disfigurement, Motor Neuron Disease, Sickle Cell Disease