Open J Psychiatry Allied Sci. 2023 Jul 17. Epub ahead of print.

The impact of public health insurance on healthcare utilisation for mental disorders in low and middle-income countries apropos of India: a systematic review.

Walia B, Bhutani S.

Abstract

Background: The explicit inclusion of mental healthcare in sustainable development goals (SDGs) seems appropriate. Accomplishing the universal health coverage (UHC) agenda promises equity in health services to everyone without financial hardship. UHC has propelled an array of initiatives taken by governments of low and middle-income countries (LMICs) around the globe in terms of public health insurance to increase the utilisation of health services. Innumerable research points out that coverage under different public health insurances has led to a substantial escalation in healthcare utilisation, nonetheless, there is a lack of clarity on these financial services bringing a transition in terms of increased mental healthcare. Following the global order, India too has formulated its own Mental Healthcare Act of 2017 that treats psychiatric troubles on par with physical ailments for financial coverage. Methods: Five databases were systematically searched, viz., Elton B. Stephens Company (EBSCO) host, Cochrane, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, and the review is reported consistent with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines. Results: A total of four studies could be discovered lining with our title and the first research objective was included. Conclusion: Studies made it discernible that initiatives of public health insurance did exert plenteous influence over the health of the people. Albeit, difficult to draw judgements for its convoluted and intricate nature, one cannot say with maximal assurance if public health insurance had an unswerving impact on minimising mental disorders. Nonetheless, deductions were possible and have been made by making appurtenant connections.

FULL TEXT | PDF