Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing

Page: 478-481
Prachi Bisht and Shiksha Sharma (Department of Human Development and Family Studies, PAU, Ludhiana, Punjab)

The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for widespread fear and psychological distress all over the world, including India. The present study was sought to identify the impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on the mental health of farm women. The sample for the present study was selected from the five operational villages of AICRP in Doraha block of Ludhiana District of Punjab. The results of the study suggested that farm women had average emotional stability, overall adjustment and approach to tackle the stressful situation in a logical manner whereas majority of women shows high self-acceptance. Farm women had better hold on different dimension of coping strategies, viz., Positive appraisal, seek guidance and support in problem solving and seek alternative reward but also shows higher level of emotional discharge.

Page: 487-490
Rani, R. and Singh, B. (Department of Psychology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, Haryana)

The sense of self-concept is made up of self-evaluation or self-perception and focuses on an individual 's thoughts about his or her own characteristics. Self-concept describes the state in which an individual evaluates or thinks about himself or herself in the important aspects of life. A person with positive self-concept has a feeling of worthiness while on the other hand, an individual with negative self-concept considers him/her as valueless. The present study was planned to study the effect of maternal employment on self-concept of Adolescents. For the fulfillment of the purpose of the study 100 adolescents (50 adolescents of working mothers & 50 adolescents of non-working mothers) age range of 16-18 years were selected. “Self-concept questionnaire (SCQ)” by Saraswat applied to determine self-concept. The questionnaire covers six dimensions of self-concept. Results of the study revealed that on all dimensions as well as on the total score of self-concept the mean scores of non-working mothers' adolescents were higher than the mean score of adolescents of working mothers. However, the difference between the two groups on some dimensions, i.e., social, temperamental and moral was found to be statistically not significant. Even though the present study suggests that mothers are required to be made aware about of the needs of their wards. A positive approach to motherhood can be helpful in positive development of self-concept of their adolescents. Working mothers irrespective of their professional engagements should give full time to their wards.

Page: 495-497
Sejabaledi A. Rankoana (Department of Sociology, Anthropology University of Limpopo, Sovenga, South Africa)

The goal of secondary prevention is to halt the transmission of infectious diseases. This review describes the indigenous preventive health care practice applied to reduce the spread of infectious diseases. Secondary data from medical anthropological studies conducted among the Bapedi group in South Africa's Limpopo Province were reviewed to identify indigenous preventive practices used to limit infectious disease transmission. The review results present one exceptional indigenous preventive method used as a secondary preventive method. Isolation is a commonly used preventive method used to slow the spread of infectious diseases at the household level for the benefit of the community. This preventive strategy is comparable to the standard quarantine strategy used when someone exhibits COVID-19 symptoms like the flu, a fever, or a cough. The study suggests that preventive health care projects and programs should take into account the preventive health care practices of local communities in order to empower those communities to employ their own cultural practices to reduce illness vulnerability.

Page: 501-510
Shakila Mahesh, Juhi Singhla, Jigyasa Gupta, Manya Jain, Nitik Baisoya, and Ramya Shanta (Manav Rachna Dental College, FDS, MRIIRS, Faridabad, Haryana)

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has infected innumerable individuals and continues to result in numerous unintended fatalities throughout the world. The Coronaviridae family includes the beta coronavirus that causes SARS-CoV-2. Over the past few months, novel spike protein mutations have become more prevalent in clinically important variants. These alterations cause the host immune system to stop recognising them. The current version of concern, according to WHO, contains the following: Alpha (B.1.1.7 9), Beta (B.1.351), Delta (B.1.617), Gamma (P.1), and Omicron (BA.1). These variants have several mutations in common with an increasing SARS-CoV-2 Variants that have just been discovered. Immune system invasion and vaccination evasion are caused by spike protein mutations. Increased transmissibility, mortality, morbidity, and possibly delayed diagnosis and treatment are the results of these impacts. The present review article discusses the numerous variants of SARS-CoV-2 with a prime focus on the Variants of Concern as per WHO. The article provides insights into the structural mutations, disease severity, and vaccine efficacy of the variants. The ongoing monitoring and control of these variants are crucial for preventing and controlling the spread of the virion.

Page: 515-520
Pinki Rani, Poonam Yadav, and Jyoti Sihag (Department of Human Development and Family Studies, College of Home Science, CCS Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, Haryana)

Self-esteem may be particularly dynamic during the adolescent years. The time period is characterized by abrupt developmental changes in a number of developmental domains, which have an impact on changes in overall self-esteem and related domains. Adolescence in girls is a turbulent period, which includes stressful events like menarche, considered as a landmark of female puberty. For girls' and women's health, education, and dignity, good menstrual hygiene is essential. The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the difficulties girls have because of menstruation, namely how socio-cultural norms affect their self-esteem. The study was conducted on 240 adolescent girls in the age group of 10-14 years and 15-19 years belonging to rural and urban areas of Hisar district. Self- developed schedules were used to delineate personal, socio-personal variables, MHM status in terms of knowledge, attitude and practices, socio-cultural norms concerning menstruation. Self-esteem of adolescent girls was dependent variable for the present study which was assessed by using State Self-esteem Scale (SSES) developed by Heatherton and Polivy (1991). Frequency, percentages, mean, standard deviation, Z-test, ANOVA, correlation and chi-square tests were used to analyze the data as per objectives. The study found that more than one- fourth of girls had poor level of knowledge and 21.25 percent girls followed poor practices regarding MHM and more than half (57.5%) of the girls need improvement in their attitude regarding MHM. Findings revealed that there was significant gap in MHM status of rural and urban girls. Girls attaining early menarche and having irregular periods had lower level of self-esteem. Age, class, menstrual cycle pattern, area of residence, mother education and father occupation were associated factors of low self-esteem in this study. Present study results confirmed significant impact of MHM status on self-esteem of adolescents.

Pages: 525-528
Alka Srivastava1 and Abha Singh2 (Department of Psychology, Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj, University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh1 and Department of Psychology, P. P. N., College, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh2)

Women are an integral part of National development. Over the past decades, women have shown integrity and ability in all fields. Their contributions are recognizable and commendable but Indian women still face many difficulties in life. These difficulties sometimes trigger many psychosocial problems, such as anxiety, tension, frustration, emotional upsets, mental disturbance, and depression. Postpartum depression occurs after childbirth or after birth. This type of depression is also clinically evident. This study attempted to define postpartum depression and its signs, causes and contributing risk elements. Depression after pregnancy or birth is called postpartum depression. This is a type of clinical depression. This study attempted to define postpartum depression, symptom causes, factors, and risk factors. This study aimed to identify postpartum depression in mothers after the birth of children across the family environment. The sample of the present study consists of 200 mothers (100 mothers after delivery of 1st child & 100 mothers after delivery of 2nd child within one month of delivery). The age range of the participants was 30-35 years. Samples were collected from nearby areas of Varanasi. The Edinburgh Postpartum Depression Scale (EPDS, Edinburgh, 1984) and Family Environment Scale (Joshi & Vyas, 1997) were used as tools. The results reveal that there is a significant difference between mothers across the delivery of the first and second child and the level of postpartum depression in the overall Family Environment.

Pages: 533-537
Poonam Phogat1, Akanksha Yadav2, and Mandeep Kaur3 (Department of Psychology, Gargi College, Delhi University, Delhi1,2 and Department of Psychology, Kamla Nehru College, Delhi University, Delhi3)

Binge watching is a phenomenon that is extremely popular these days. The focus of this research is to examine the impact of Perceived Social Support (PSS) on binge watching and the associated feelings among young adults. The sample used for the study consisted of 90 young adults (45 men & 45 women) aged between 18-35 years living in India. The shorter version of Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL) was applied to evaluate the level of PSS (Cohen & Hoberman, 1983). A structured questionnaire was formed to assess binge watching habits and feelings. The data was analysed using t-test and Pearson correlation. Frequencies were also found to assess the feeling aspect under different conditions. The major findings are as follows: (a) non-binge watchers have a higher perceived social support than binge watchers except for the dimension appraisal support; (b) perceived social support has a moderately negative but significant correlation with binge watching but the dimension appraisal support has a low negative but significant correlation with binge watching (c) binge watching has positive feelings associated with it and the predominant feeling was of relaxation.

Pages: 543-549
Deepa Sharma1 and Rajender Kumar Sharma2 (Department of Applied Psychology, Sri Aurobindo College (E), University of Delhi, Delhi1 and Department of Botany, Deshbandhu College, University of Delhi, Delhi2)

In the past few decades, interest in herbal medicines has been increased significantly, the reason includes, isolation, purification and identification of active principles, scientific validation of traditional uses, better compatibility of the natural molecules with human body, comparatively economical, fewer side effects, better presentation, packaging and advertisements. In the current manuscript, we presented more than 25 important medicinal herbs (Achillea millefolium, Bacopa monnieri , Cannabis Sativa, Centella asiatica, Crocus sativus, Datura stramonium Ginkgo biloba, Hyoscyamus niger, Humulus lupulus, Hypericum perforatum, Juniperous macropoda, Lavendula angustifolium, Mucuna pruriens, Papaver rhoeas, Passiflora incarnate, Physochlaina praealta, Piper methysticum, Rauvolfia serpentine Rhodiola rosea, Scutellaria lateriflora, Solanum nigrum, Tussilago farfara, Verbascum Thapsus, Valeriana officinalis, Withania somnifera & Ziziphus jujube) rich in psychoactive molecules, and having potential role to cure various psychiatric ailments including anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, post-traumatic stress, depression, bipolar maniac-depressive, seasonal affective disorder, psychotic, phobic disorders and Schizophrenia. Their traditional uses, psychological effects, active principles, validation of ethno-pharmacological effects are recorded and discussed. Additionally, photographs of the plant species will be helpful to know or easy identification of the plants.

Pages: 554-560
Sajal Dhillon and Gobind Verma (Department of Applied Psychology, Guru Jambheshwar University of Science and Technology, Hisar, Haryana)

The genesis and availability of internet based health services has metamorphosed the healthcare sector. Not only physical healthcare facilities but also mental health care is now accessible through a stable internet connectivity. The services of internet based programs with assistance of certified therapists through virtual reality, electronic mail, video conferencing, chat technology or any of these combinations (as per the demand of the situation) have emerged as a viable option to traditional in-clinic therapy sessions. Online therapy also exists as an additive to traditional face-to-face therapy. Treatments of anxiety and panic disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) through online internet based platforms have posted their efficiency to the world at large. The times of COVID-19 further provided new challenges where internet based online therapy witnessed its establishment as the new standardized practice. The treatment of mental disorders via online therapy has been systematically reviewed in this paper.

Pages: 294-300
Mohammad Khalid Khawrin1 and Edgar Fidel Nderego2 (Department of Judgement and Prosecution, Kunduz University, Afghanistan, South Asia1, Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Open University of Tanzania, Tanzania, East Africa2)

Controlling the antisocial conduct of the younger generation requires a thorough understanding of the difficulties posed by psychological factors. Through this, the measurement for prevention and treatment lowers the unfavorable consequences of cyberspace. A scholarly paper that provides an overview of the psychological and behavioral challenges of virtual space does not exist. It is very important to highlight this new area for the younger generation's prevention. The PRISMA methodology was used for systematic reviews of meta-analysis. Data was collected from the Bielefeld Academic Search Engine (BASE). That had 2904 documents. Sixteen documents were selected with the PRISMA rules. The data was analyzed using At list version 9 and Excel software for portraying the diagrams. The study discovered some evidence of psychological difficulties in cyberspace, including issues with family, motivation, and culture. The study provided evidence that the creation of cultures online has unintended consequences. Behavior modification Users' actions are altering negatively. Cyberspace demonstrated that users became disengaged from their tasks. Although the internet diminishes its users' dignity, the most complex situation is cyber sickness, which is worsening the problems for the users. Cyberspace separates users from the real world and keeps them occupied with fictitious circumstances in the virtual world. It is highly suggested that researchers highlight the negative effects of cyberspace and its side effects. The side effects of cyberspace must have awareness among the users.

Pages: 307-316
Gulgoona Jamal (Department of Psychology, Zakir Husain Delhi College (University of Delhi), J. N. Marg, New Delhi)

To examine the “sleep quality” and its relationship with “life satisfaction”, “psychological well-being”, and levels of “depression”, “anxiety”, and “stress” in Indian male and female college students. Method. The “sleep quality” of male (n = 72) and female (n = 77) college students with an age range of 18 to 25 years was measured with “Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index” (Buysse, Reynolds, Monk, Berman, & Kupfer, 1989). Based on the scores on PSQI, the final sample had 52 male and 63 female college students with poor “sleep quality”. The “life satisfaction”, “psychological well-being”, “depression”, “anxiety”, and “stress” of the final sample was assessed with the help of “Cantril's Self-anchoring Scale” (Cantril, 1965); “Psychological Well-being Scale” (Ryff, 1989); “Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale” (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1955) respectively. Poor “sleep quality” was significantly prevalent in both male and female college students, and they did not differ significantly from each other on poor “sleep quality”, “life satisfaction”, “PWB” and its domains, and levels of “depression”, “anxiety”, and “stress”. Poorer the “sleep quality” significantly lower was “life satisfaction”, and higher were “depression”, “anxiety”, and “stress” in both male and female college students. Further, only for male college students, poorer the “sleep quality”, significantly lower was the “PWB” and “positive relations with others.” Furthermore, while poor “sleep quality” accounted for maximum variance in PWB, followed by “depression”, “anxiety”, “life satisfaction”, “positive relations with others”, and “stress” for male college students, it accounted for maximum variance in “stress”, followed by “life satisfaction”, “anxiety”, and “depression” for female college students. The present study supports the existing research as a high percentage of both male and female college students showed poor sleep quality and poorer their “sleep quality”, lower was “life satisfaction” and “PWB”, and higher were “depression”, “anxiety”, and “stress”. However, poor “sleep quality” accounted for maximum variance in “PWB” for male college students, students, and maximum variance in “stress” for female college students. Since the previous studies have not reported sleep quality as a predictor of different variables in male and female young adults, hence, the present study provides an impetus for further research in this area.

Pages: 325-329
Ezaz Shaikh1 and Pratika Petare2 (Department of Psychology, Radhabai Kale Mahila Mahavidyalaya, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra1, and Department of Psychology, Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil College, (Autonomous), Vashi, Mumbai, Maharashtra2)

Due to COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing was taken as one of the precautionary measures in India. Uncertainty about signs and symptoms, modes of transmission, and lack of definite treatment of COVID-19 has put the overall health of people in India at risk. This study aimed at exploring the role of connectedness, affiliation, and companionship factors of social connectedness and health anxiety in predicting psychological well-being and its components. This study was carried out on 317 Indian adults recruited through a convenience sampling method from July 2020 to November 2020. Hypotheses were tested using linear regression methods. Companionship had predicted 1.9% and 7.7% of the variance in autonomy and environmental mastery, respectively. Affiliation had predicted a 6.7% variance in personal growth. Connectedness and companionship explained 26.8% variance of positive relationships with others and 16.1% of self-acceptance. Health anxiety predicted 6.3%, 6.8%, 6.7%, 8.3%, and 9% variance of autonomy, environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relationship with others, and self-acceptance, respectively. 'Connectedness' and 'companionship' were the significant predictors of 'positive relationships with others' and 'self-acceptance'. 'Companionship' predicted 'autonomy' and 'environmental mastery', whereas 'personal growth' was predicted by 'affiliation'. Except for the purpose of life, health anxiety had predicted all domains of psychological well-being.