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Indo-US Project

A training model for culturally competent and evidence-based mental health care for diverse societies. A three-year project (2015-18) based on a partnership between Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA and Christ University Bangalore, Karnataka, India. Funded by United States-India Education Foundation through the Indo-U.S. 21st Century Knowledge Initiative

The Training Model

Mental health problems are among the leading cause of disability and death worldwide, and the shortage of adequately trained professionals limits our ability to effectively meet the rising mental health needs.

The recently updated mental health policy by the government of India (Ministry of Health and Welfare, 2014) calls for curricula that focus on evidence-based training and incorporate the local cultural elements, which is critical in diverse societies such as India and USA. This is consistent with the guidelines on multicultural education and training of psychologists by the American Psychological Association (APA, 2002).

To address this need, psychology faculty from Christ University in India, and Miami University in USA will collaborate to develop a post graduate training model in culturally competent, evidence-based (CCEB) mental health care in both countries.

In particular, we propose the following five broad objectives:

  • Assess training needs of students, faculty, and community practitioners, and assess needs of those experiencing mental health difficulties and their families for culturally sensitive care.
  • Develop a training model in CCEB mental health care based on information gathered from the needs assessment (Objective I), and revise/expand postgraduate curriculum at both institutions to meet specific CCEB competencies.
  • Promote capacity building of junior and senior faculty at Christ U and Miami through exchange visits, workshops, and peer-mentoring groups in the CCEB training model.
  • Promote capacity building of mental health practitioners “on the ground” through designing and offering onsite and online CCEB certificate programs.
  • Develop a resource center that provides consultations to other postgraduate training programs, helps to raise awareness regarding mental health in the community, and provides policy recommendations to national and international bodies.

Faculty Exchange

A total of six faculty exchange visits took place over the duration of three years of this project..

Press Releases

Publications and Presentations

  • Raval, V. V., & Gopal, B. (2016, May). Assessment of training needs in developing culturally competent and evidence-based mental health training models: Project overview. Abstract accepted for presentation at the37thAnnualmeeting of the Society for the Study of Psychiatry and Culture,Minneapolis, MN.
  • Raval, V. V., & Gopal, B. (2018, October). Perceptions of trainees and clinicians regarding the meaning of cultural competence in mental health care in India and United States. Paper accepted forpresentation at the 5th World Congress of the World Association for Cultural Psychiatry, New York, NY.
  • From research collaborations that resulted from this project:Raval, V. V., Luebbe, A. L. & Sathiyaseelan, A. (under review). Parental socialization of positive affect, adolescent girls’ positive affect regulation, and adolescent depression in India. Special Issue: parental socialization of youth positive affect regulation, Social Development.
  • Raval, V. V., & Green, J. H. (in press). Children's developing emotional competence in a global context. In A. Kumar (Ed.), Nurturing character strengths in children: A guide for parents and educators. New Delhi: Sage Publications.
  • Luebbe, A. L., Raval, V. V., & Sathiyaseelan, A. (2018, April). Parental Socialization of Positive Affect in Adolescent Girls in India: Indirect Effects to Depression via Dampening Regulation. In H. W. Mak (chair), Parent and Peer Emotion Socialization in Adolescence: Implications for Emotional Development and Mental Health. Paper presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Jain, A. T., Luebbe, A. L., Raval, V. V., & Sathiyaseelan, A. (2018, April). Social Reward Valuation and Anticipatory Pleasure in the Prediction of Adolescent Depressive Symptoms in India. Poster presented at the biennial meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence, Minneapolis, MN.
  • Jain, A. T., Raval, V. V., Luebbe, A. L., & Sathiyaseelan, A. (2017, November). A test of the tripartite model of anxiety and depression in an adolescent sample from urban India. Poster presented at Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, San Diego, CA.

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