Table 5.

Qualitative interview results

Domain	Theme	Quote
Acceptability	Idiom usage (usage of ‘khulla man’, use of tension)	‘We learned that we shouldn't hide our tension and that we need to share it with our friends. We shouldn't let our stress affect us. When we share our feelings with our friends then it will help us a lot. I learned this from ‘khulla mann’ program. We learned that we should give suggestions to our neighbors too so I liked it.’ – Female participant, Group PM+ ‘I have good thoughts these days, I am satisfied…So this has given me new strength, motivation. I have learned that we should open up about our problems and only then other people will be willing to help us…I received help from my sister-in-laws. If I hadn't opened up (Khulla) about my problem and had stayed by myself then who would know about my problem? If we open up about the problem we are facing then they will help in what they can. So I am really happy to be able to learn all these things.’ – Female participant, Group PM+
	Acceptability of assessments and intervention	‘I feared that people in the community will say anything bad about it [RA]…because he was a man…my husband isn't here and my mother in-law was also here so I was really stressed about it but I took time to talk to him.’ – Female participant, Enhanced Usual Care ‘My child is very small. So I used to be late [to sessions]…when I asked my sister-in-laws to look after my child, they used to take it in a negative way…I had a small store so I had to manage time to go to the program. But it was manageable.’ �� Female participant, Group PM+ ‘In this last session that I am conducting, the participants said that they wouldn't be getting anything except lunch so because of this reason, some didn't come.’ – Facilitator, Group PM+
	Benefits of a group format	‘It felt like everyone has problems and not just me. I used to think that only I went through things but I asked the others if they also had problems.’ – Female participant, Group PM+ ‘I have made friends too. We [participants] live nearby so we meet with each other. We share that the program was good and that we will join such programs again. All of us live nearby so we gather and talk about our problems.’ – Female participant, Group PM+ Participant
	Hesitancy because of prior notions of MH	‘Yes people have said negative things about this program too because they haven't understood it. Those who have understood about this program have realized that it is good.’ – Research assistant, Group PM+ Arm ‘After learning the skills, it's something you do for yourself. If I share with others, they may say, ‘this program isn't good.’ They might make fun of me…If they say things like that, then it won't feel good for me…It is best for me to learn and just do it myself.’ – Female participant, Group PM+ ‘In the beginning, they didn't open up well. When we went for community sensitization in the beginning, no one shared with us that they have mental health problems…And they opened up later about the kind of problems that they were experiencing…they feared to open up at first because…people in the community might say negative things to them.’ – Community psychosocial worker, Enhanced Usual Care
Perceived utility	Improvements in somatic symptoms	‘…when I feel weak, I do those activities. Now I have forgotten all [all of tension]. I used to have so much tension. I didn't want to eat. Couldn't sleep. I didn't want to walk anywhere. My legs used to be so sore and tired after I walked…Now I have forgotten all these things.’ – Female participant, Group PM+
	Session materials/practicing outside of sessions	‘Whenever I feel bored or bad I look at the calendar [from the program] and I would remember what was taught in the training and I would do it. Before, I didn't want to sit with friends or attend any kind of wedding or pooja (prayer) programs. I just wanted to stay alone and I used to think a lot and weep. But after attending the Khulla Man program, I don't feel that way.’ – Female participant, Group PM+
	Males in Group PM+	‘Before when we used to have conflict in our family, we used to have lots of stress and we didn't know what to do. But after this training, even though we have conflict in family, we now have realization that we shouldn't hide these things in ourselves but we should rather share it with our close friends…You have to tell it to someone you trust; be it your wife or friends.’ – Male participant, Group PM+ ‘I liked everything about this program. The story of Ram Bahadur was shared from the beginning…he felt the same way as us. I learned what might happen to our heart…So we learned how to calm our heart…by reading the story. I realized that I had these kind of problems but there might be other people who might have faced such problems before too.’ – Male participant, Group PM+