The Big Picture
Adapting photovoice to enhance psychological, social and cultural insights into, and prevention and treatment of, youth substance use in India (September 2018 – February 2022).
Purpose
This project seeks to understand the experience of young Assamese people around risk, recovery and resilience in relation to substance abuse and mental health. The goal is to increase knowledge, enhance the voice of young people, and inform practice through impacting policy and promoting public awareness.
Process
We learn from two groups of young Assamese people who show resilience to substance abuse. The first group are fifteen 15-18 year olds (7 male, 8 female) at increased risk of substance abuse but who have managed to stay clean. The second group are fifteen 19-24 year olds (11 male, 4 female) who have engaged successfully in drug rehabilitation. Participants are invited to bring photos to interview to convey their experience of risk, resilience and recovery. This material is analysed using Thematic Analysis. Participants are invited to create a poster from their photos and to take part in film-making workshops. We also map research-to-policy-pathways and interview, and hold workshops with, key stakeholders involved in mental health policy and practice in Assam. This material is analysed using Framework Analysis. Finally, we collaborate with organisations in India to understand the potential of embedding visual methods in their work and to build their mental health research and service delivery capacity.


Outcomes
Aim 1 (Increase knowledge): To enhance psychological, social and cultural insights into the experience of risk, resilience and recovery with regard to youth substance use in Assam.
Outcome 1: Pathways to Recovery Model
Outcome 2: Publications
Aim 2 (Enhance voice): To promote young Assamese people’s voice with respect to substance use in order to reduce stigma, raise public awareness and inform mental- and public-health policy and practice.
Outcome 1: Participant posters
Outcome 2: Co-produced films (scroll down)
Aim 3 (Inform practice): To learn if and how photovoice can be adapted in culturally-sensitive ways to enhance local mental health services seeking to prevent and treat youth substance use in Assam.
Outcome 1: Workshop materials
Outcome 2: Educational and intervention material
For help on downloading IP please see Resources – Guidance Information
PARTICIPANT POSTERS: 15-18 year olds at increased risk of substance abuse
Find out morePARTICIPANT POSTERS: 19-24 year olds who have engaged successfully in drug rehabilitation
Find out morePathways to Recovery Model of Youth Substance Abuse in Assam
Find out moreOFFICIAL SELECTIONS and AWARDS for our films
Find out moreCases

Big Picture Case 1
Samar
Gender: Male
Age: 22 years
Main substance of abuse: Heroin
Other substances: Weed
Find out more
Big Picture Case 2
Smita
Gender: Female
Age: 23 years
Main substance of abuse: Alcohol
Other substances: Cannabis, uppers
Find out more
Big Picture Case 3
Munu
Gender: Female
Age: 24 years
Main substance of abuse: Alcohol
Other substances: Brown sugar, weed
Find out more
Big Picture Case 4
Rishi
Gender: Male
Age: 21 years
Main substance of abuse: Heroin
Other substances: Alcohol, inhalants, tablets, weed
Find out moreImages
Final steering group meeting with Anna Madill, Raginie Duara and Ratul Dey in London, Sangeeta Goswami in Guwahati, Dipartup Chowdhury in Tezpur, and Louise Walton in Leeds.
The Big Picture team member – Professor Paul Cooke, University of Leeds UK – leading filming-making training on the university campus.
Nirmaan Rehabilitation Facility Senior Counsellor Ratul Dey with Principle Investigator Anna Madill on a knowledge exchange visit to London February 2022.
Rebecca Graber, Ratul Dey and Anna Madill in London on our Big Picture cultural exchange events.
Online impact event from The Big Picture hosted by the Center for Public Mental Health Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
Online impact event from The Big Picture hosted by the Emanuel Hospital Association, India
Pathways to Recovery workshop with postgraduate students at LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur Assam, August 2021.
The Big Picture principal investigator – Professor Anna Madill, University of Leeds UK – with Dr Sonia Pereira and Dr Arunjyoti Baruah – the LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health, Assam – being presented a Memorandum of Understanding by Dr Peter Gardner, Head of the School of Psychology.
THE BIG PICTURE
PSEUDONYM: Samba
GENDER: Male
NATIONALITY: Indian
AGE: 18 years old
This is what Samba said about this picture: “When I was abusing drugs, I can describe my life as destroyed almost… Even this is like a symbolic example… your life is in your own hands and you’re destroying it. If you know it’s bad, why are you doing it”
THE BIG PICTURE
PSEUDONYM: Rohan
GENDER: Male
NATIONALITY: Indian
AGE: 18 years old
Participant looks through the photos he brought before starting to tell his story of how he resisted problematic use of drugs.
The Big Picture PhD student – Chloe Brooks – with her supervisors Professor Anna Madill and Dr Tolib Mirzoev.
THE BIG PICTURE
PSEUDONYM: Rohan
GENDER: Male
NATIONALITY: Indian
AGE: 18 years old
Participant engaging in the process of poster-making as part of The Big Picture project. He chose to draw one of the photos he brought to the interview to convey a message to other young people.
The Big Picture PhD student – Chloe Brooks – reading material.
Pathways to Recovery workshop with postgraduate students at LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health, Tezpur Assam, August 2021.
THE BIG PICTURE
PSEUDONYM: Manav
GENDER: Male
NATIONALITY: Indian
AGE: 24 years old
This is what Manav said about this picture: “Condition was bad means my health was completely deteriorated ok and means it happened like I’m sitting somewhere. Nothing seems to please me. Completely blank. I had a photo of that time. Where is it, let me describe it. This one (refers to the photo). If I sit somewhere, I couldn’t see anything. I felt life there’s nothing in my life. Because I was actually doing nothing. I just wake up in the morning, get intoxicated, sleep at night. Get intoxicated till my eyes aren’t closed and then sleep.”
Interview with the service provider in Nirmaan Rehabilitation Facility, Ratul Dey, who gave an in-depth insight about drug addiction problem among young people in Assam and plausible ways forward.
Credits for the introductory film we created for The Big Picture.
Cartoon created of panel ‘Young people’s perspective’ for University of Leeds UK Cultural Institute Arts and Mental Health day conference.
Still of Dr Raginie Duara, Research Fellow University of Leeds UK, from The Big Picture introductory film.
Still of Dr Rebecca Graber, University of Brighton UK, from The Big Picture introductory film.
The Big Picture PhD student – Chloe Brooks – and supervisor Dr Tolib Mirzoev, University of Leeds UK.
THE BIG PICTURE
PSEUDONYM: Kevin
GENDER: Male
NATIONALITY: Indian
AGE: 21 years old
Last of the sixteen photos brought by a participant expressing the final positive feeling of being free of drugs and in a position to now guide others through their recovery from drug addiction.
THE BIG PICTURE
PSEUDONYM: Rishi
GENDER: Male
NATIONALITY: Indian
AGE: 21 years old
Participant narrates his story of rehabilitation and recovery from drug addiction. He took part in creating the story board, bringing images and videos for B rolls and finally narrated his story in front of the camera.
The Big Picture receives ethical approval from the LGB Regional Institute of Mental Health, Assam.
THE BIG PICTURE
PSEUDONYM: Purav
GENDER: Male
NATIONALITY: Indian
AGE: 19 years old
Participant gets thirty-three images to narrate his story of recovery from drug addiction. Each photo used carefully to give the interviewer insight into different phases of his journey, starting from how and why he first used substances, what led him to seek help through a rehab centre, and in his quest to recovery, what posed helpful and what caused difficulties.
The Big Picture proud to contribute to this international conference.
Ratul Dey, Senior Counsellor at Nirmaaan Rehabilitation Facility Assam, sharing our Pathways to Recovery Animation with service users.
Participants from our recovery group engaging in film-making workshop, learning to use the filming equipments and developing story boards.
Dr Srutimala Duara being thanked for her contribution to The Big Picture through providing a voice over for our animation.
The Big Picture team meeting – Professor Paul Cooke, Professor Anna Madill, Dr Siobhan Hugh-Jones, Chloe Brooks and Louise Walton – University of Leeds UK.
THE BIG PICTURE
PSEUDONYM: Jhanvi
GENDER: Male
NATIONALITY: Indian
AGE: 17 years old
One of the fifteen photos brought by a participant, where she sketched her feelings, photographed and explained, “I wanted to go somewhere else. I felt like that and finish everything and go somewhere else… I felt like someone was holding me and forcefully. I was not able to concentrate on anything, I was not able to do anything. I wanted to go out, but I was bound to be there. I wanted to come out and go somewhere, don’t know where. But I just wanted to go somewhere”. Strong emotional moments associated with the urge to take substances, but like many young participants, she exhibited remarkable resilience.
Logos of The Big Picture funders, partner organisations, and collaborating universities.
Our project participant interacting with audience after screening his film, Diary of a Recovering Drug Addict, in our impact event held in Assam.
Our project participant interacting with students after screening her film, Ek Notun Probhat, in our impact event, throwing light on women’s position in the world of addiction and recovery.
Our project participant interacting with audience after screening his film, Wrestling against all Odds, in our impact event, raising awareness by throwing light on his own recovery journey.
We thank Royal Global School pupils, Assam, who attended our event about raising awareness of youth addiction and for contributing their voice.
Anna Madill addressing our impact event audience in Assam through Skype.
Dr Diana Setiyawati introduces Th Big Picture at a film-screening at L’Orientale University in Naples, Italy on 21 February 2022 for sister GCRF project ‘The impact of COVID-19 on people living with psychosocial disabilities in Ghana and Indonesia and priorities for inclusive recovery.’
Find and download education and intervention material through our non-commercial licence page here. You can find guidance on downloading in the Resources – Other tab.
More about The Big Picture and its place in Community Psychology in an interview session with Dr. Emma Anderson, Senior Lecturer in Psychology (University of Brighton), recorded for postgraduate students of Community Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Science, University of Brighton.
Ratul Dey, Senior Counsellor at Nirmaaan Rehabilitation Facility Assam, sharing our Pathways to Recovery Animation with service users.
Direct Monthly Online Film Festival Top 10 Audience Choice for our animation Pathways to Recovery.