Indian Journal of Health & Wellbeing

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Understanding the Importance of Self-management in Severe Mental Illness: An Overview Page: 83-87 Priyanka Devi1, Vranda Mysore Narasimha2, and Vijaya Kumar2 (Department of Psychiatric Social Work, (NIMHANS), Bengaluru1,2 and Department of Psychiatry, (NIMHANS), Bengaluru2) There are many psycho-social interventions are contribute to the well-being of persons with severe mental illness (SMI). Self-management approaches are feasible and useful for SMI, but it is less explored in Indian context. This review is an attempt to explore the importance of self-management in SMI and highlighted the use of self-management in severe mental illness and co-morbid condition. Literature search carried out in electronic data base (PubMed, ProQuest, & Google scholar). As per the selection criteria 28 articles reviewed. The key findings were, that self-management interventions can provide positive changes in persons with mental illness and co-morbid medical conditions. There is a requirement of shifting the focus of the psychosocial interventions to a comprehensive level in persons with mental illness. Self-management assessments and interventions can be considered as a part of regular follow-up of the patients for better results in their daily life. Page: 83-87Priyanka Devi1, Vranda Mysore Narasimha2, and Vijaya Kumar2 (Department of Psychiatric Social Work, (NIMHANS)… Read more Get Access
Religion and Well-being: A Study Page: 88-94 Gour Sarkar1, Sujit Jogi2, Suman Paul3, Suvojit Sutradhar4, Rakesh Das5, Ajoy Roy6, and Ajoy Sarkar7 (MA (North Bengal University), MA (NSOU), B.Ed. (North Bengal University), West Bengal 1, UG 5th Semester of Geography, Raiganj University, West Bengal2,3,4,5,6, and Sayedpur Babhan Toli School, Jhitkia, Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal7) Religion and well-being have been intertwined since the beginning of civilization. Religion is associated with human thought, thought, creation of human civilization, the culture of civilization, improvement of the environment, and world peace. India is the lifeblood of religion and many rivers, trees, hills, animals, etc. are being preserved around this religion. The nourishing of the religion is based on the three sacred samples selected temple of South Bengal. It is clearly observed the trees and ponds are conserving for example in Kankalitala sacred temple area, the sacred pond and five sacred Banyan trees are conserving. In Ghagarburi sacred temple area mainly two people's trees are conserved for more than the last 1000 years. In Kankalitala sacred temple area more than fifteen business shops are doing their business based on the selling of Dhupkathi, Fruits, Sindur, Garland, Coconuts, Sacred trees, Religion yarn, Sweets, Soft toys, Photo frames, Ektaras, Dugdugi, The photo frame of many God-Goddess, Handicraft of Rabindranath Thakur, etc. apart from that some people are doing their jobs based on Car parking, Worshiping, Begging, Shopkeeping, Selling the rural handicraft things, etc. Beggars are earning during the time of festivals here. Again in Ghagarburi temple area, there are some shops like, Dhupkathi, Fruits, Sindur, Garland, Coconuts, Sacred trees, Religion yarn, Sweets, Soft toys, Photo frames, Ektaras, Dugdugi, The photo frame of many God-Goddess, Handcraft things of selling religions items are found and some Fooding hotel, Tea stalls are getting economic profit through the presents of religion culture. There are some infrastructural like, Construction of Roads, Tubal, Water tank, Dharmasala, Car parking area, Hotel, Toilet, Lodges, etc. have developed in Kankalitola sacred religion area, Ghagarburi temple, Shri Shri Baba Manikeshwar temple. But bloody sacrifice is still presented in these three case studies areas namely; Ghagarburi temple, Shri Shri Baba Manikeshwar temple. The Nunia River at the Site of Ghagarburi temple is completely polluted due to the urban sewage of Asansol and the waste items of Ghagarburi temple. The Damodar River at the site of Shri Shri Baba Manikeshwar temple is found as an open defecation area. Page: 88-94Gour Sarkar1, Sujit Jogi2, Suman Paul3, Suvojit Sutradhar4, Rakesh Das5, Ajoy Roy6, and Ajoy… Read more Get Access
Youth Power: Creative Challenges and Opportunities Page: 95-98 Preeti P. Masih (Department of Psychology, St. John's College, Agra, Uttar Pradesh) The youth is the temperament of the society. This great task of major shakeup and change in the mind and outlook of men has to be entrusted to the youth who are the most powerful force in this world. India has the largest youth population in the world today. It is possible that this demographic advantage could turn into our single greatest disadvantage, if the youth of India are not included in, and harnessed to the process of development. Challenges in it are the opportunities for youth, if they learn to cope with the social challenges. The imperative need for a great creative effort born out of devotion of intelligent and laborious hours of youth has become inevitable and necessary. The youth have to rise to the occasion and build creative effort to meet the challenges before them. Participation and active involvement of the youth has a fire of enthusiasm and a social objective is a must for the successful implementation of social and economic policies and programs of the nation, particularly in the area of social welfare, child welfare, suppressed and depressed classes welfare, solving the problems of physically and mentally handicapped and economically backward people without which social change and development in the human society will be imperfect and incomplete. Page: 95-98Preeti P. Masih (Department of Psychology, St. John’s College, Agra, Uttar Pradesh) Read more Get Access
Efficacy of Social Skill Training in the Treatment of Stabilized Outpatients with Chronic Schizophrenia Page: 99-106 Sucharita Kundu and V. R. Shinde (Department of Psychology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra) Schizophrenia, a debilitating neuropsychiatric disorder, is considered by WHO to be one amongst the foremost ten illnesses which contribute to the global burden of disease (Murray & Lopez, 1996). Antipsychotic medicines, considered to be first-line treatment of Schizophrenia, do not meaningfully improve cognitive deficits, negative symptoms and concomitant poor social adaptive functioning. Inclusion of empirically validated psychosocial interventions can enhance the quality of life and independent life skills in persons with Schizophrenia. The study aimed at evaluating efficacy of a Social Skills Training (SST) intervention of six months duration, on adaptive behavior among stabilized outpatients of chronic schizophrenia availing day care rehabilitation services. 96 stabilized outpatients with chronic schizophrenia, diagnosed as per DSM-V criteria, availing day care rehabilitation services, were allotted either to a wait list control group receiving standard care of treatment with antipsychotic medication (n=48) or experimental (active treatment) group, receiving SST in addition to standard care (n=48), through simple random sampling. This was a centre based pretest-posttest control group study. Both the groups were assessed once at the baseline and thereafter 6 months of SST intervention, comprising of 75 sessions, using Social Adaptive Functioning Evaluation (SAFE). Statistical analysis was conducted through independent samples t test on gain score (pre-intervention or baseline assessment post-intervention assessment) of the two groups. The results revealed an overall significant effect of SST program in the form of enhancing adaptive behaviour. At post intervention, the experimental group's gain scores on SAFE were found to be significantly higher (t= 2.458, p<0.05) while compared to the wait list control group. Thus, the present study highlighted efficacy of SST intervention in improving adaptive behaviour in persons with chronic schizophrenia. Therefore, in view of these favourable effects, it can be concluded that, although not routinely recommended in treatment guidelines of schizophrenia, integration of SST can improve present standard services, and can be recommended for wider implementation in rehabilitation centres in India. Page: 99-106Sucharita Kundu and V. R. Shinde (Department of Psychology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune… Read more Get Access
Prevalence of Mental Health Issues Faced by the Persons Recovered from COVID-19: A Review Page: 107-110 Annmary Tom, G. G. Gopika, and Sojan Antony (Department of Psychiatric Social Work, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bengaluru, Karnataka) The COVID-19 is the biggest public health challenge experienced by human beings in the recent past across the world. It affected the physical and mental health of people. Most COVID-19 survivors have experienced symptoms such as prolonged distress of the illness, worry about the future, and stigma. The prevalence of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety among COVID -19 victims is the main focus of the study. From April 2020 to June 2021, an evaluation of several papers based on mental health difficulties among COVID-19 survivors was conducted. To better understand the prevalence rate of mental health concerns among COVID-19 survivors, eleven papers were chosen following the PRISMA principles. The studies show the significant prevalence rate of psychopathology among COVID-19 survivors. Disproportionately increased levels of anxiety and depression can be found in geriatric people. Several investigations have found that female sufferers have higher frequency of psychiatric problems than male survivors. There is a lack of attention in the area of mental health difficulties of COVID survivors. Depression, post-traumatic stress disorders, and anxiety cause high-burden among the vulnerable population and that need to be addressed properly like the physical illness. Page: 107-110Annmary Tom, G. G. Gopika, and Sojan Antony (Department of Psychiatric Social Work, National… Read more Get Access
Young Adults’ Well-being and Adaptive Measures: A COVID-19 Survey Page: 111-115 Renu Gulati1, Veenu Wadhwa2, Reema Lamba3, and Priya Kaim4 (Department of Human Development and Childhood Studies, Institute of Home Economics, University of Delhi, Delhi1,2,4 and Aditi Mahavidyalaya, University of Delhi, Delhi3) COVID-19 induced lockdowns across the globe have made people adjust and adapt themselves through changing patterns of lifestyle. This study aimed to study the impact of forced restrictions on young adults in terms of adaptive measures, well-being, and circadian rhythm during the lockdown. A short survey was conducted during the first lockdown in India among young adults (n=197) in different metropolitan cities of India to collect information on youth's perspectives, practices and experiences during the lockdown through an online platform. The results are based on the responses of 197 young college-going adults to a variety of questions related to stressors during the lockdown, their support system, and their actions towards ensuring their well-being amid the lockdown period. Sense of well-being was perceived as moderate by the majority of the young adults who participated in the study. However, the collected data also indicates that the COVID-19 lockdown has undoubtedly influenced sleep patterns, food behaviour, daily routines, perspectives towards relationships, life situations, and quality of communication in the youth. Some positive impact was also reported based on individual practices for improving health and well-being as well as coping with stress and related emotions. A family-based intervention program is needed for the vulnerable groups to ensure holistic well-being and help them work towards their recovery in different domains as in pre-pandemic lives. Page: 111-115Renu Gulati1, Veenu Wadhwa2, Reema Lamba3, and Priya Kaim4 (Department of Human Development and… Read more Get Access
Status of Morbidity and Mortality in the State of Odisha, India Page: 116-124 Ranajit Bera, Rashmi Ranjan Behera, Ramya Ranjan Behera, Deepak Panda, Munmun Mohapatra, Sribas Patra, 7 8 9 10, Nishikanta Kumar, R. Karthik, Diganta Panda, and Diptimayee Naik 1,3,4,5,9, (Rekhi Centre of Excellence for the Science of Happiness, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal1,3,4,5,9, Advanced Technology Development Centre, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, West Bengal2,8, Department of Applied Geography, Ravenshaw University, Cuttack, Odisha6, Newcastle University, Australia, Oceania7, and Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya, Jajpur, Odisha10) Mortality and morbidity are two crucial components to assess the standard of the health system of a nation. This paper examines the spatial variation in the status of morbidity and mortality in Odisha using three rounds of Annual Health Survey Data conducted from 2010-13. Chronic and acute diseases were used to analyse the status of morbidity whereas crude death rate, infant mortality rate, neonatal, post-neonatal and under-five mortality rates were used to analyse mortality status in the state of Odisha. The composite index depicted the spatial variation in morbidity and mortality across the different districts. Five dimensions were identified through Principal Component analysis which indicated the association between the selected indicators of mortality and morbidity. It was found that the developed districts reported high morbidity and underdeveloped districts reported low morbidity. On the other hand, the underdeveloped districts reported high mortality and developed districts reported low mortality. The results of the study illustrate the importance of the provision of health infrastructures, improvement in education, medical awareness, governmental policies and schemes to improve the overall health status in Odisha. Page: 116-124Ranajit Bera, Rashmi Ranjan Behera, Ramya Ranjan Behera, Deepak Panda, Munmun Mohapatra, Sribas Patra… Read more Get Access
Knowledge, Attitude, and Perceptions towards COVID-19 Vaccines: A Cross-sectional Study in Delhi-NCR Page: 408-412 Shakila Mahesh, Neeru Rani, Anuhska Rajesh Choudhary, Ishika Chandra, and Ankit Kumar (Manav Rachna Dental College, FDS, MRIIRS, Faridabad, Haryana) Vaccines provide the most optimistic solutions to prevent the further spread of new viral strains. Rapid development of efficacious vaccines against COVID-19 epidemic is very crucial but the success of the COVID-19 vaccination program is dependent on people's knowledge and their attitude towards it. The aim of the study was to investigate society's knowledge, attitude and perception towards COVID-19 vaccination in India. The exploratory and anonymous population-based e-survey was conducted among the general individuals of Delhi- NCR. T-tests or one-way ANOVA tests were performed using Microsoft Excel 2019 and SPSS Software version 24.0. A total of 1005 responses were collected. The sample has a slight predominance of female participants (56.7%) with mostly in the age-group of 20-40 years. Mean scores of knowledge, attitude and perception of the study participants were 3.72±1.40, 3.69±1.62, 4.86±1.54 respectively. According to gender wise, mean scores of knowledge and perception were considerably higher in females with significant p-value of 0.028 but attitude scores were higher in males with p-value of 0.714. The findings reflect adequate knowledge, positive attitude and good perception of people towards COVID-19 vaccination program. Government should create awareness programs, limiting the barriers and strengthening the facilities regarding the vaccination drive to ensure higher vaccine acceptance. Page: 408-412Shakila Mahesh, Neeru Rani, Anuhska Rajesh Choudhary, Ishika Chandra, and Ankit Kumar (Manav Rachna… Read more Get Access
Aggravating Factors and Adverse Impacts of Subjective Burden of Family Caregivers of Schizophrenia Patients Page: 413-416 Roby James and Joy Tungol (The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines) The demanding role of caregiving of schizophrenia patients requires considerable amount of energy and time over a long duration, resulting in exhaustion that eventually affects the caregiver negatively. Burden refers to the negative feeling and subsequent strain experienced by the family members as a result of caring a schizophrenia patient. Subjective caregiver burden indicates caregivers' own burden perceived personally, which results in affecting the overall well-being of the caregiver. Considerable amount of stress experienced by the caregivers themselves may push them to have a poor quality of life if they fail to cope with the stress resulting from the process of caregiving. The impairment of the caregiving role has negative impact on the patient's well-being, course and prognosis of the disease. Though psycho-education and cognitive behavioral therapy were helpful to address many of the caregiver issues, they were not adequate enough to address the real issues of the caregivers of schizophrenia patients. Future researches are to be designed, taking in to consideration the subjective burden of the family caregivers of schizophrenia patients to help them perform their caregiving role effectively. Page: 413-416Roby James and Joy Tungol (The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines) Read more Get Access
Experience of Prolonged Grief: A Qualitative Inquiry into Young Widows of India Page: 417-421 Molly U. Mundaden and Joy Tungol (The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines and Department of Clinical Psychology, The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines) The loss of the life of a spouse is one of the most profound and life-altering occasions adults will ever experience. While the loss of a partner is aggravating at any time, the experience of spousal bereavement at a young age brings with it a unique challenge. Prolonged grief is a disturbance observed by the death of a character close to the bereaved, with chronic and pervasive grief response characterized with the aid of longing for the deceased or continual preoccupation with the deceased accompanied by severe emotional pain. This study explores qualitatively, analyses thematically, and identifies the causes and consequences of prolonged grief among young widows at Kerala Social Service Forum (KSSF) South India. The participants' experiences and perspectives are analyzed thematically with the use of Braun and Clarke's step-by-step method. In-depth semi-structured interviews (twenty participants) and focus group discussions (seven participants) have been held to collect an in-depth grasp of the lived experiences. The findings of this qualitative find out exhibit that the younger widows undergo thought problems (distorted cognitions, distressing thoughts), emotional problems (anxious feelings, emotional stress, depressed mood), behavioral issues (poor social behavior, meaninglessness in life, lack of dedication) Bodily problems (health-related & medical issues, financial issues, & household problems). The researchers observed that Prolonged grief among participants is associated with low that means in life, anxiety, depression, and stress. Page: 417-421Molly U. Mundaden and Joy Tungol (The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila… Read more Get Access
Do Adolescent Twins and Singletons Differ in Obsessive-Compulsive or Risk-Taking Behaviour? A Study from Kerala, South India Page: 422-428 Jessy Fenn and Muhammed Siddique (Department of Psychology, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (Autonomous), Kochi, Kerala and Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (Autonomous), Kochi, Kerala) Twins are subject to a similar environment and their togetherness experience can lead to increased confidence manifested as increased risk taking or the constant comparison and expectation of similar performance can also lead to anxiety and obsessive compulsive traits. This study aims to find the level of risk taking and prevalence of obsessive compulsive traits among twins as well as the relationship between their experience as twins to the risk-taking and obsessive behaviour. A sample of 100 adolescents, 50 being one of a twin pair and 50 singleton adolescents, from Kodinhi village, known for its high twin population, were studied using the Toronto Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, Risk Taking-18 and data on twin behaviour. Datawas analyzed employing the Kolmogorov Smirnov test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney test and Spearman's Correlation. The findings suggest that twins are significantly higher in obsessive compulsive traits than singletons and that they are significantly lower on risk taking. There was a significant negative relationship between obsessive-compulsive traits and risk-taking. We also found out a significant relationship between people's comparison of twins and the level of obsessive-compulsive traits in them. Page: 422-428Jessy Fenn and Muhammed Siddique (Department of Psychology, Rajagiri College of Social Sciences (Autonomous)… Read more Get Access
Prevalence of Depression among Adolescents in India Page: 429-431 Sherin Joseph and Rosalito De Guzman (The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines) Adolescent depression is a developing concern around the world. The high prevalence rate of adolescents with depression often harms their life. It affects the emotional, physical, and spiritual health of adolescents. Adolescent depression can affect socialization, family relationships, and school performance, often with potentially significant long-term consequences. This study aims to assess the level of depression among adolescents in India. Researchers have used snowball sampling techniques for this study. For this study, a total of 400 adolescent students have responded to all questions. This study utilized the following two sets of research instruments for data collection, namely, personal data sheet, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI II). Descriptive statistics are used to analyze data. According to the findings, most adolescent students are depressed to a moderate degree (55.5 percent). The results of this study strongly advised that an effective adolescent intervention program should be developed and implemented. Page: 429-431Sherin Joseph and Rosalito De Guzman (The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila… Read more Get Access
Causes and Impacts of Burnout on Students’ Well-being: A Review Page: 432-438 Joy O. Thuruthel and Joy R. Tungol (The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines) Burnout is an emerging mental health concern among an increasing number of college, students and it leads to a variety of adverse consequences on their academic, personal and social life. The awareness and understanding of causes and impacts of burnout are relevant for early detection, the adequate response through appropriate intervention to attenuate the symptoms of burnout facilitating the integral development and welling of students. The study employed a scoping review methodology and selected 23 relevant studies to investigate the causes of burnout and its impacts on the well-being of baccalaureate college students. The synthesis of the results highlighted precipitating and perpetuating causes, academic and psychological, impacts on students' functioning and performance. It also recognized the necessity of psychosocial interventions to reduce burnout, leading to improving their overall well-being. Page: 432-438Joy O. Thuruthel and Joy R. Tungol (The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas… Read more Get Access
Impact of Digital Addiction and Cognitive Offloading on Prospective Memory of Young Adults Page: 439-445 Veena Prathap and Swapnil Singh (Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, New Delhi) It's a proven fact that smartphones and virtual gadgets are identified as an effective tool that, when used in a limit, can enhance human cognition, moreover an emerging perception is that habitual involvement with these devices may also have a negative and lasting repercussion on people's' capability to carry out forthcoming intended actions, and further affect potential prospective memory. The current study takes into consideration the potential impact of virtual dependency and cognitive offloading on the prospective memory of the college students (20-22 years). The results showed that the more the students were addicted to their digital devices and the more the students cognitively offloaded, the higher was the decline in their prospective memory. Regression analysis suggested that digital addiction significantly predicted prospective memory in college students. These findings raise concern about the well-being and safety of the college students. Implications and future indications have been further discussed in the study. Page: 439-445Veena Prathap and Swapnil Singh (Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, New Delhi) Read more Get Access
Understanding Adolescent’s Helmet Use From the Perspective of Health Belief Model Page: 446-448 Savitha Kamakshi and M. Ramya Maheswari (Department of Psychology, Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai, Tamil Nadu) Adolescence is a period where the individuals explore their individuality and tend to seek new and exciting situations more than children and adults. With respect to health, adolescents tend to display optimistic bias which predisposes them to engage less in preventive health behaviors and increase risk taking. One such risk-taking behavior is helmet non-use. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the extent of adolescents' helmet use and non-use from the perspective of Health Belief Model. Expost facto research design was used. A sample of 100 helmet users and 100 non-helmet users in the age group of 18-25 years were included in the study. An adaptation of Bicycle Helmet Attitude Scale (BHAS) developed by Ross et al. (2010) was used to assess attitude towards using helmet. It was hypothesized that there will be no significant difference between helmet users and non-users with respect to constructs of the Health belief model. Independent sample t-test was used to analyse the results of the study. Results revealed that helmet users perceived themselves as more vulnerable to motorcycle related accidents, had greater self-efficacy and perception of benefits associated with helmet use and paid more attention to cues to action. Helmet non-users had greater perception of barriers associated with helmet use. It was also found that there was no difference between helmet users and non-users with respect to perceived severity. Page: 446-448Savitha Kamakshi and M. Ramya Maheswari (Department of Psychology, Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai… Read more Get Access
Elderly Well-being Page: 449-452 Vandana and C.K. Singh (I. C. College of Home Science, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana) An elderly person is defined as a person who is over 60 years of age and those over 75 years old as “late elderly. Well-being as being related to both health and quality of life. Well-being has to do with how people make sense of their lives. This refers to satisfaction, lack of depression and anxiety, and positive moods and emotions. Good living conditions (e.g., housing, employment) are fundamental to well-being. As per the Indian tradition, families have been described to provide social security to old age members of the family. Today changing family structure is caused increased problems of old age people and disturbance in their well-being. Emerging prevalence of nuclear families in recent years, the old rich family members are exposed to psychological, physical and financial insecurity. The review paper provides insight into the problems of the elderly and their well-being. Page: 449-452Vandana and C.K. Singh (I. C. College of Home Science, Chaudhary Charan Singh Haryana… Read more Get Access
Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health: A Review of Studies Conducted among Indians Page: 453-456 Shreya Gulati1, Dimple Rawat2, Avishek Roy3, Arti Gulati4, and Vivek Dixit5 (Department of Medicine, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, New Delhi1, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi2,4, Department of Anaesthesiology, Pain Medicine and Critical Care, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi3, Department of Orthopedics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi5) COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected mental health in population across worldwide and therefore India has no longer an exception. Hence, this review was conducted to study the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and stress among the Indian population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature search was conducted on PubMed from inception till 10th September 2021 and a total of 8 articles were included in the present review. This qualitative review indicated in an increased prevalence of mental health issues, which require an urgent attention to address the issue in totality. Page: 453-456Shreya Gulati1, Dimple Rawat2, Avishek Roy3, Arti Gulati4, and Vivek Dixit5 (Department of Medicine… Read more Get Access
Understanding the Role of Participation in Online Support Groups on Mental Well-being Page: 457-465 Nandini Agrawal, Apoorva Someshwar, Aadishree Ravi, Anand Arul Dhas, and Akriti Srivastava (Department of Psychology, Christ (Deemed to be) University, Bannerghatta, Bangalore, Karnataka) Online support groups are defined as a virtual community where people with common experiences come together to share, in doing so online support groups have created a niche where the aspects of mental health such as well-being come into play especially during the current times of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study aims to understand the role of participation in online support groups on mental well-being. The theoretical base for the study is the PERMA model of well-being as given by Seligman. The participants were selected using purposive sampling (N=6) and data collection was done using semi-structured interviews. The analysis employed was thematic analysis, post which 4 major themes emerged in the data i.e. attraction towards online support groups, socialising amongst members, mental health before and after participation. The results of the study answer the research questions showing that participation in online support groups has led to an improvement in the mental well-being of the participants by virtue of many factors, some being; providing a safe space, lack of judgement and an open space to express vulnerability. Page: 457-465Nandini Agrawal, Apoorva Someshwar, Aadishree Ravi, Anand Arul Dhas, and Akriti Srivastava (Department of… Read more Get Access
Ensuring Public Healthcare Service and Health Rights in Communities through Participatory Health Governance Page: 466-469 Jacob Islary (Department of Social Work, Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati, Assam) Ensuring good health in communities is a challenge. Field experience shows that community participation in public health governance ensures better health outcomes. It ensures regularity of health workers attendance, availability of drugs, maintenance of the health center, and the reach of health care service to interior and difficult areas. This article is a reflection on the experience of a community where people came together along with the state players to revive a defunct Primary Health Center using a participatory approach. The paper argues that while the approach ensured better service delivery and improved health outcome it also educates the community members of their rights, responsibilities and duties and empowers them to claim their rights with dignity and largely improving the health status. While public health governance is a complex process involving multiple players at global, national and local levels; at the community level participatory governance of health center could include involvement of community leaders, student union members, youth, women, NGOs and community members at large. It could be concluded that promoting participatory governance rather than bureaucratic administration is effective in delivery of health care services in rural areas. Page: 466-469Jacob Islary (Department of Social Work, Assam Don Bosco University, Guwahati, Assam) Read more Get Access
Depression, Anxiety and Stress among College Faculties during the COVID-19 Pandemic Page: 470-473 Pradeepkumar P. C.,1 Sojan Antony,2 Thomas Gregor Issac,3 and Thirumoorthy4 (Department of Psychiatric Social Work, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka1,2,4, Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, Karnataka3) The COVID 19 lockdown has triggered governmental lockdowns, has affected the various sector severely, and its impact on mental health is inadequately understood. COVID 19 has created unprecedented challenges in the academic sector. College faculties faced extraordinarily demands from institutions and increased their responsibilities caused severe psychological burden. The cross-sectional descriptive research design was used to assess depression, anxiety, and stress levels among college faculties. The study involved 76 faculties who participated in the 'social connectedness and inspiration' faculty development program sponsored by AICTE. Demographic data sheet and depressional, anxiety and stress (DASS) instruments were used to collect the data. The current showed mean age of male (N = 39 m = 37.49 SD = 6.4) and female participants (N= 37, m = 37.97 SD = 9.3) years, majority participants represented Karnataka (19.74%) Tamil Nādu (15.79%) Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (14.77%) and Uttarakhand (13.16%) and 71.1% of the participants were post-graduation holders, and 81.6% worked as assistant professors. More than half of the faculties were affected with mild to severe depression and anxiety, and a significant difference was found between gender and depression (p = 0.023) designation and anxiety (p = 0.009). The research findings indicate that more than half of the participants affected with depression and anxiety need special attention due to their higher psychological burden. Primary preventive strategies like provision of anxiety relieving workshops, team activity and life skill training, Yoga and relaxation activity trainings can promote mental health among faculties Page: 470-473Pradeepkumar P. C.,1 Sojan Antony,2 Thomas Gregor Issac,3 and Thirumoorthy4 (Department of Psychiatric Social… Read more Get Access
Problems and Potentials of Anganwadi Workers in the ICDS Projects: An Empirical Study Page: 474-477 Anima Sen1 and Salma Seth2 (Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, Delhi1 and Department of Applied Psychology, Vivekananda College, University of Delhi, Delhi2) Impact evaluations of Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme have been undertaken earlier at the State and national levels by several academic and medical institutions. The present research, too, is an attempt in this direction. The Anganwadi (AW) is the focal point for providing the services, to the children below the age of six years and their mothers, right at their door-step in urban slums, backward rural and tribal districts, and drought and flood-prone belts of the country. Thus, the Anganwadi Worker (AWW) plays a vital role in the effective implementation of the Project. Keeping this in view, it was intended in 1991 to study the efficacy of AWWs vis-à-vis their working conditions in the set-up of ICDS projects in the Union Territory of Delhi. The sample comprised of 400 AWWs selected with the help of stratified random sampling technique from the 22, then functioning, ICDS Projects in Delhi. Seven questionnaires and psychological tests were administered, namely, Information Schedule for AWWs, Information Schedule for Supervisors, Observation Schedule, AWW Efficiency Scale, Sinha's Anxiety Scale, Dutt Personality Inventory, and Thakur and Malviya's Socio-Economic Status Scale. The latter psychological tests were employed in order to obtain an in-depth understanding of the individual AWWs in terms of their manifest anxiety levels, general anxiety and socio-economic status. The salient findings revealed that though generalizations cannot be made, it can be reasonably concluded that a majority of the AWWs were not able to fulfill the objectives of the project due to lack of extrinsic and intrinsic motivating factors involved. The results have been discussed in the light of the data obtained and with the help the observational reports. Several recommendations were, also, proposed so that the AW would extend beyond the delivery of nutrition and immunisation services. That is, taking care of the children's cognitive and socio-emotional development where the parents are unable to do so due to acute problems of poverty, illiteracy, and lack of motivation. Page: 474-477Anima Sen1 and Salma Seth2 (Department of Psychology, University of Delhi, Delhi1 and Department… Read more Get Access
Efficacy of the Online Mindfulness-based Logotherapy Program (OnlineMLP) on the Depressive Symptoms of Selected Cyberbullied Adolescents during Covid-19 Pandemic Page: 478-484 Jeyaseelan, Maria Michael1 and Marc Eric S. Reyes2 (The Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas Manila, Philippines1 and Department of Psychology, College of Science, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines2) The global pandemic has pushed everyone into cyberspace practically 24/7; the cyber world may have been a safe space for netizens from Covid-19 but not online bullying behaviors. However, cyberbullying victimization has become more widespread nowadays since bullies have easy online accessibility, can maintain online anonymity, have an infinite online audience, and can easily reach their victims online anytime in a day. Empirical evidence associating cyberbullied victimization with depression is alarming. This study examined the efficacy of the Online Mindfulness-Based Logotherapy Program (OnlineMLP) in targeting the depressive symptoms of cyberbullied adolescents in Tamilnadu, India, during the Covid-19 pandemic. The development of OnlineMLP involved using the program development model and randomized controlled trial of two groups comprising forty (20+20) participants. We used the Cyber victimization questionnaire for adolescents (CYVIC) and the Beck depression inventory-II (BDI-II) scales to assess the presence of cyber victimization and depressive symptoms. Paired t-test and MANOVA were used for data analyses, and Cohen's d test measured the extent of the effect of the OnlineMLP. Results of the paired t-test and MANOVA showed a statistically significant impact. Thus, The results of the intervention program showed that the OnlineMLP is efficacious in lowering the depressive symptoms experienced by our cyberbullied adolescent participants during the Covid-19 pandemic. Page: 478-484Jeyaseelan, Maria Michael1 and Marc Eric S. Reyes2 (The Graduate School, University of Santo… Read more Get Access
School Refusal: A Psychological Analysis Page: 485-488 Sudhinta Sinha (Department of Psychology, B.B.M.K. University, Dhanbad, Jharkhand) Traditionally, mental health professionals and school authorities have found school refusal to be a perplexing and challenging problem. Here it is relevant to understand- what is school refusal? School refusal is a condition characterised by reluctance and often outright refusal to go to school in a child who: (1) seeks the comfort and security of home, preferring to remain close to parental figures, especially during school hours; (2) displays evidence of emotional upset when faced with the prospect of having to attend school, although this may only take the form of unexplained physical symptoms; (3) manifests no severe antisocial tendencies, apart from possible aggressiveness when attempts are made to force school attendance; and (4) does not attempt to conceal the problem from parents. Mostly it can be seen in young children going to school for the first time. In this paper it has been tried to differentiate the term between 'School refusal' and 'School phobia and discussed the other related aspects such as its history, prevalence, clinical picture, classification, etiology, risk factors, assessment, treatment and prognosis factor. Page: 485-488Sudhinta Sinha (Department of Psychology, B.B.M.K. University, Dhanbad, Jharkhand) Read more Get Access
Does India Require Vitamin D Awareness Programme: A Review of Studies Published in India Page: 489-492 Vivek Dixit1, Sarthak Gulati2, Dimple Rawat3, Sahil Batra4, Shailendra Bhadoria5 James Pegrum6, and Dinesh Dhanwal7 (Department of Orthopedics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi1,4, Department of Orthopedics, J.J.M Medical College, Davanagere, Karnataka2, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi3, Department of Medicine, G. R. Medical College and J. A. Hospital Gwalior MP5, Nuffield Orthopaedics Centre, University of Oxford, UK6, NMC Superspeciality Hospital, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates7) The transformation or dissemination of knowledge and awareness about vitamin D and its benefits in the community at large appears to be lacking. The present review is an attempt to summarize the awareness and knowledge regarding vitamin D among Indian population. A review was carried out to summarize the awareness and knowledge regarding vitamin D among Indian population. Literature searches were conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar from inception till March 2021 to identify all relevant articles. A total of 4 cross-sectional studies conducted among the Indian population having a sample size from 113 to 599, who studied the knowledge, awareness and attitude regarding vitamin D were included in the present review. The present review indicates the need for conducting educational awareness programme via using platform of E-media for the dissemination of education among Indian population. Page: 489-492Vivek Dixit1, Sarthak Gulati2, Dimple Rawat3, Sahil Batra4, Shailendra Bhadoria5 James Pegrum6, and Dinesh… Read more Get Access
Academic and Economical Stress Levels of College Students Page: 493-496 Shweta Rai, Anjali Mathur, and Anshu (Department of Home Science, Ethelind School of Home Science, SHIATS, (Formerly AAI-DU), Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh) College environment has many challenges and may present several events and situations which students have no or little skill to cope with, i.e., meeting students from different cultures, peer pressure for appearance, financial pressure etc. The competition for grades, the need to perform, peer relationships, fear of failure, career choice, teacher-student relationship, staying at hostel away from home, irregular sessions, incomplete course and many other aspects of college life can pose real life challenges that may manifest itself as stressful for student. Thus the present study aimed at assessing the stress levels among the university students belonging to different socio-economic groups and to find out the gender disparities in stress levels among university students belonging to different socio-economic groups. Exploratory Research design “and survey method was used to collect the data from the respondents. A total sample of 180 university students in the age group of 18-22 years, comprising of 90 boys (30 each belonging to lower, middle and upper socio-economic group) and 90 girls (30 each belonging to lower, middle & upper socio-economic groups) were selected for the present study. The socio-economic status (SES) of the sample was ascertained using revised version of Kuppuswamy (1962) three factor index of socio-economic status scale. Student's Stress Scale developed by Agrawal (2012) was used to assess the academic and financial levels of stress in students. The results revealed that maximum number of respondents irrespective of their socio-economic group showed average level of stress. A significant gender disparity was seen in the level of stress where in girls showed higher level of stress as compared to boys. A significant variance was seen in the level of stress with regard to the socio-economic status of the respondents where in respondents belonging to middle socio-economic status reported to have higher level of stress as compared to their counterparts from lower and upper socio-economic groups. Page: 493-496Shweta Rai, Anjali Mathur, and Anshu (Department of Home Science, Ethelind School of Home… Read more Get Access

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