This paper reports on evaluation of an initiative to use paramedics as
the first-level mental health counsellors of abused women in rural
Bangladesh (2003-2004) from the perspective of the abused women who
participated in one or more counselling sessions. Thirty in-depth
interviews, followed by a survey (n=372), targeted to cover all
participants, were conducted in 2006. Overall, the arrangement,
management of ethical issues, and skills of paramedics were rated
favourably. Most (89%) abused women (n=372) considered the session
useful; one-fourth of these women considered it very useful; and only a
few abused women considered the session useless. Usefulness of the
session was expressed mostly in terms of relief attained after talking
about the issue. Most (87%) women reported being encouraged to be
self-confident. In a context characterized by low self-confidence of
women, lack of opportunity to talk about violence, and absence of
professional mental health counselling services, this initiative is
sufficiently promising to warrant further testing