The Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPG) Committee of the Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) is pleased to present the CPGs on mental health and well-being. The IPS CPGs have been developed through the consultative process over the years. The CPGs have covered important aspects of psychiatric clinical practice. The topics have been chosen keeping in mind the guidance required by psychiatrists in both the public and the private sector. The process of making CPGs was started in the year 2004. Since then, 13 volumes have been published so far, which include Practice Guidelines on psychotic disorders, affective disorders, anxiety disorders, sleep disorders, substance use disorders, childhood disorders, mental health issues among the elderly, forensic psychiatry, consultation liaison psychiatry, psychiatric emergencies, neuromodulation, and others.
The CPG formation is a dynamic process in view of current research and advancements for clinical practice. The process involves a stepwise progress from selection of topics and sub-topics, expertise of authors who have worked in those specific areas, presentation of CPG drafts in a workshop, discussion by a larger group, revision of the draft, seeking comments on IPS membership by displaying the draft CPGs on the IPS website, and final editing. Thus, the guidelines are developed through consultative processes and include experts and experienced clinicians from across the country. The guidelines incorporate the available evidence and best practices across the world and are cognizant of the challenges and unique service characteristics in the Indian setting. The CPG Committee thanks the leadership of IPS for entrusting this important responsibility to us.
This year, CPGs focus on health and wellness. Psychiatrists often deal with patients when their health is impaired. However, maintaining good health can ward off at least some of the psychiatric disorders. There are concerted efforts to enhance the well-being of individuals as mental health awareness has gained more attention recently. Psychiatrists also need to play an important role in improving the mental health of the community. For this year, initially, 15 topics were selected related to different aspects of well-being, including conceptualization of well-being; well-being in children and adolescents, women, and elderly; well-being in the workplace; well-being in relation to art and creativity; emotional intelligence and resilience; well-being in the context of medical co-morbidity; sexual well-being; aspects of artificial intelligence and social media for promotion of well-being; prevention of substance use and lifestyle modifications; stress management in family environments; and infrastructure development. A meeting was held in Jaipur on 12th and 13th of August 2023, where the drafts were discussed. Additional topics of development of human resources for well-being were added, and so was a topic about the well-being among security personnel. Comments about the CPGs from the different participants were conveyed to the lead authors. The revised CPGs were put up on the IPS website in October–November 2023 for comments and suggestions from the members of IPS. Final changes in the CPGs were made, and they were finalized.
The CPGs were developed keeping in mind the Indian socio-cultural-economic-healthcare context. The CPG development was inclusive of the varied approaches brought in by different experts. The CPGs involved representation of experts from different parts of the country, working in different settings. This reflects the diversity of views and practices. We did not endorse a straight jacketed uniform approach, and the authors had relative independence in the development of these documents. The aim of these guidelines is to provide guidance and help to the fraternity of psychiatrists. The application of the guidelines in a particular setting, situation, or case should be cognizant of the individual characteristics, constraints, comfort of the practitioner, necessity, and anticipated benefits. Clinical judgement should be exercised while applying the guidelines in a particular circumstance. We hope that the guidelines would enable psychiatrists to promote mental health and improve the overall levels of well-being.
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Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.