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. 2024 Nov 18;18:35. doi: 10.1186/s13033-024-00649-3

Table 3.

Content for Indigo-Local community health worker/service user training

Module title Aims and objectives Teaching methods
1. Mental health and mental illness

Aim: Learn about mental health and mental illness

Objectives

 Recognise behaviour that is a cause for concern

 Recognise the features of some mental illnesses

 Understand that people with mental illness need help from health care professionals

Introductory lecture

Interactive activities

 What is normal behaviour; what is a cause for concern?

 Small group discussion—Learning about mental health problems

 Carousel—How can we teach our communities about mental health and mental illness?

 Quiz—Mental health and mental illness

2. Human rights and mental illness

Aim: Learn about human rights and mental illness

Objectives

 Understand five human rights laws and how these relate to people with mental illness

 Feel equipped to help prevent human rights abuses in the community

Introductory lecture

Interactive activities

 What would you do if…?

 How do human rights laws relate to people with mental illness?

 Case study discussion

 Prisons and mental illness quiz

3. Caring for people with mental illness

Aim: Learn about caring for people with mental illness in the community

Objectives

 Understand the principles of mental health promotion and education

 Know how to refer somebody to a clinic

 Understand the principles of medication used to treat mental illnesses and recognise types of side-effects

 Understand the principles of monitoring recovery and assisting rehabilitation in the community

Introductory lecture

Interactive activities

 Small group discussion—How can community health workers help?

 Referral to a health clinic

 Role play—Supporting recovery

 Quiz—What community health workers need to know about treatment

4. Stigma and mental illness

Aim: Learn about stigma and mental illness

Objectives

 Understand the core problems in stigma

 Recognise examples of stigma

 Be aware of different ways to reduce stigma

Introductory lecture

Interactive activities:

 Guest speaker—Living with mental illness

 Case study discussion

 Designing posters

 Group discussion—What does stigma and discrimination mean to you?

5. Practical steps

Aim: Learn about practical steps for promoting rights and reducing stigma

Objectives

 Have a workable plan about how to teach their community about mental illness, promote rights and reduce stigma

Introductory lecture

Interactive activities:

 Post-it notes—What I have learnt?

 Practical steps—Planning of stigma reduction activities in the community