Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing

Pages: 1285-1289
Rekha Gujjar (Rustomjee Business School, Dahisar (W), Mumbai)
Manju Mehta (Department of Psychology, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur)

The present study was undertaken to see the effect of Sex role orientation on Organizational role stress among female government doctors. A total of 100 female government doctors from the state of Rajasthan served as sample for the study. To attain the objectives of the study, two psychometric instrumentsthe Bem Sex role Inventory (Bem 1981) and the Organisational Role Stress Scale (Pareek, 1981) were administered to the sample population to obtain data pertaining to the androgynous personality and organizational role stress variables. The data were analysed in terms of the t-test. The results of the study revealed that female government doctors with masculinity sex role orientation were significantly higher on inter-role distance stress as compared to female government doctors with androgynous and femininity sex role orientation. It was also found that female government doctors with undifferentiated sex role orientation were significantly higher on role overload as compared to female government doctors with androgynous sex role orientation.

Pages: 1293-1298
Priya Bhatnagar and S. P. K. Jena (Department of Applied Psychology, university of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi)

The present paper attempts to review the clinical severity of depression in Eating Disorders (ED). ED involves extreme disturbances and deviations in eating behaviour. Depression as a clinical feature is closely associated with ED pathology. Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is characterized by enhanced levels of metacognitive capacities accompanied with a lack of positive beliefs. Aspects of self starvation assimilated with acute body image disturbance results in feeling of self loathing and distress. In the context of Bulimia Nervosa (BN), dysfunctional beliefs regarding weight and shape trigger binge and consequent compensatory behavior, forming the nucleus of the pathology. The vicious binge-purge cycle propelled with low levels of self esteem lead to emotional plunge and helplessness. In both the subtypes of ED, depressive features emerge as a core psychological component although magnitude is viewed to be higher in case of BN. The role of cognition lies common to the aetiology and maintenance of ED as well as depression. Inherent is a person's tendency to make errors in judgment based on cognitive factors amalgamating issues related to self with negative beliefs. In addition, traumatic life events, personality factors such as narcissistic traits, internal locus of control and lack of self serving bias strongly determine the course of eating patterns and gravity of depression. As a result, maladaptive schemas are built towards ownself, world and future. Owing causation to the tilts in cognitive capacities, both the pathologies perhaps operate as cause and effect to each other. Hence it is well concluded that persistence of depression as core symptomatic manifestation is specific to ED pathology. Also, since cognition is of crucial importance in occurrence of ED and depression both, treatment targeting the cognitive dynamics is hypothesized to prove effective. Future research is recommended in the same and related areas.

Pages: 1303-1306
Shahana Anjum and Asiya Aijaz (Department of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, UP)

Education of Indian Muslims seems to have become a matter of serious concern for the educational policy planners of the country and intellectuals who believe that the nation will develop if all its sections are educationally empowered. Muslims in India are educationally and economically most backward. In this paper an attempt was made to explain the basic purpose of education, to assess the prevailing conditions of the Muslim community in terms of education and find out the problems responsible for this condition such as absence of true Muslims leadership, lack of security and identity, low income, discriminatory attitudes of the majority community towards them, religious and mutual differences among themselves on the basis of social, economic, educational, linguistic, regional and other factors as well as to suggest certain ways and means to overcome these conditions.

Pages: 1310-1312
Thenu, C.T. and Hemalatha Natesan (Department of Psychology, Avinashilingam Institute for Home Science and Higher Education for Women, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu)

From Avinashilingam University for Women, Coimbatore, 40 parents of mentally retarded children were screened using Case Study Schedule (Hemalatha N atesan, 2008) and S.I. (Stress Inventory, Hemalatha Natesan & Nandini Menon, Revised 2005). Out of them, 35 were selected by Purposive Sampling. There were 10 male and 25 female. They were in the age range of 25-50 years. The sample was divided into 3 batches of around 12 in a batch for Positive Therapy. Positive Therapy evolved by Hemalatha Natesan (2004) is a package, combining the Eastern techniques of Yoga and Western techniques of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Six sessions of Positive Therapy was given in two weeks. Each session lasted for one hour. After two weeks, the subjects were re-assessed using the Case Study Re-assessment Schedule and S.I. Initially, 86% of the sample had 'High'/'Very High' stress. But none of them had 'High'/'Very High' stress after Positive Therapy. There was a significant reduction in the mean stress from 'High' (16.47) before Positive Therapy to 'Moderate' (6.29) after Positive Therapy. Worry was reported by the entire sample; the other common negative emotions experienced by the sample were depression, fear, irritation, anxiety, anger and hatred. The physiological symptoms reported by majority of the sample were sleep disturbance, fatigue, loss of appetite, headache, weakness and body pain. After Positive Therapy, there was a drastic reduction in the negative emotions and physiological symptoms of the sample.

Pages: 1317-1319
Damanjit Sandhu and Shubhdip Kaur (Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala)

Disasters are mass traumatic events that involve multiple persons. As such there may be a wide range of people who may be considered “victims” of disaster, including those who nearly escaped death, those who are injured, family members of the deceased, and those who witnessed a catastrophic event. Accumulating evidences indicate that nature disasters can jeopardize severely the well being and normal functioning of the victims. Studies have thoroughly examined the psychological impacts of natural disasters. The most common impacts being Peritraumatic stress reactions, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, complicated grief symptoms, depression, anxiety disorder, substance abuse disorders, distorted perceptions, pessimism, suicidal ideation and attempts. The gravity of such consequences being more pronounced for the children. To combat the impacts of these disasters, the implementation of psychological interventions such as Psychological First Aid, grief counseling, could actually be fruitful. There seems to be many challenges in providing psychosocial support to the victims, such as unawareness, stigma, lack of integration of physical and psychosocial support, and the acute shortage of trained professionals. The real challenge in the current scenario, therefore, is to make psychosocial support, following disaster, a norm and not an exception in the country.

Pages: 1323-1327
Palak Malhotra and Kranti Sihotra (Department of Psychology, GCW Parade, Jammu, J&K)

Excessive anxiety contributes to a sense of helplessness in which a person feels little control over the present or future and continues maladaptive behaviour. In view of the negative influences of long standing anxiety the present study attempts to understand the influence of anxiety upon the adolescents. An emotionally stable person has the capacity to make effective adjustments with himself, members of his family, and his peers in the world, society and culture. As adolescents are the future and pillars of nation, so it is important to study their anxiety level which might affect their achievement scores. Since adolescence is a huge transition period, it is important time for healthy adjustment. The present study was undertaken to study the anxiety level and achievement scores of adolescent boys and girls. 52 boys and 52 girls within the age of 14 to 18years from Govt. school of Jammu were selected as a sample. Data was collected by administering Sinha's Comprehensive anxiety scale by Sinha (Raipur) and Sinha (Patna). While Sharma Academic Achievement Motivation Test (AAMT) by Sharma was used to measure the academic achievement motivation of school students. Normative survey method and Random sampling technique was used in the present study. The data obtained was analysed statistically and the study revealed that there is no significant difference in the anxiety level and academic achievement scores of adolescents.

Pages: 1330-1332
Zeenat Zahoor and Abu Sufiyan Zilli (Department of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh)

The world health organization defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community" (WHO, 2005). The present investigation is aimed to make a comparative study of mental health among elite and non-elite players. It was hypothesized that elite players would have better mental health as compared to non-elite players. The sample of the present investigation is based on (N=100) respondents, 50 elite and 50 non-elite players from different games. Statistical analysis reveals significant difference between means of two groups of elite and non-elite players.

Pages: 1344-1348
Shoma Chakrawarty and Dhanalakshmi. D (Department of Psychology, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry)

As chronic and lifestyle illnesses rise sharply, the need to cope with caregiving demands is experienced acutely by an unprecedented number of family caregivers. This study aimed to ascertain the relationship between general health, caregiver strain and perceived social support in the context of informal caregiving. A sample of 45 long-term family caregivers was selected through the purposive sampling technique and caregiver strain, general health and social support were measured. Caregiver strain was measured using the Modified Caregiver Strain Index (Sullivan, 2003), while general health was measured using the General Health Questionnaire (Goldberg & Hillier, 1978). The level of perceived social support among the participants was measured using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (Zimet et al., 1988). The correlation analysis revealed a positive association between caregiver strain and general health and an inverse association between caregiver strain and social support, while the 't' tests revealed that a higher level of education and an employed status were associated with better health outcomes. ANOVA showed a significant difference in the levels of caregiver strain based on the type of illness. In this study, education, employment and social support were found to help caregivers fulfill their demands with fewer adverse effects. The findings highlight the role of evaluating the health and psychological well-being of caregivers and administering necessary interventions to minimize their health risks.

Pages: 1353-1354
Raghvendra Pratap, Vineeta Gupta Akash Kumar and Isha Saini (Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP)

Aplastic anemia is a disease in which the bone marrow, and the blood stem cells that reside there, are damaged. This causes a deficiency of all three blood cell types: red blood cells (anemia), white blood cells (leukopenia), and platelets (thrombocytopenia) ie pancytopenia with a hypocellular bone marrow. Activated autoreactive T lymphocytes induce apoptosis of haematopoietic stem cells resulting in a hypocellular bone marrow. Environmental triggers include drugs, viruses and toxins but most cases are idiopathic.. Stem cell transplantation is the treatment of choice in patients with a matched donor. Immunosuppressive therapy is another option in those who do not have a matched donor. In this manuscript focuses on the sociodemographic status of aplastic anaemia in Indian children. We have presented our 209 children with aplastic anemia presenting in the Department of Pediatrics, Institute of Medical Science, Banaras Hindu University Varanasi. over a period of 40 months.

Pages: 1357-1359
Deepika Srivastav, Vibha Sharma and T.B. Singh (Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS), University of Delhi, Delhi)

Head injury may result in a confusing array of physical and psychological changes. It leads subtle and temporary lapses in ability and behavior. We evaluated a case of head injury with the help of neuropsychological battery and treated with cognitive retraining. A 53-year-old male working as a stenographer with well-adjusted premorbid personality without family history of any psychiatric illness was brought with the complaints of forgetfulness, unable to concentrate on one thing, for last 3 years. On detailed history patient reported that he had been a victim of road traffic accident around seven years back and had a head injury at that time, for which neurosurgery was also performed. To assess his current level of cognitive functioning, and to assess the cognitive impairments in various lobe functions, NIMHANS Neuropsychological Battery was administered. His attention, concentration, comprehension, visual and verbal memory was found to be moderately impaired on test findings, which were affecting his day-to-day functioning. Mild impairment was also found on visual spatial perception. Result demonstrated mild to moderate level of impairments in the functioning of temporal lobe, parietal lobe and in frontal lobe functioning. Cognitive retraining was done for the required cognitive functions and improvement found in follow up sessions.

Pages: 1366-1370
Parul Kathuria (Department of Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi),br>
The present study assessed the relation among dissociation, alexithymia, cognitive failures and fantasy proneness in borderline personality pathology and the non-clinical groups. At the first stage, 1,988 young adults from different universities were administered Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+ (PDQ-4+). A total Score of 50 or more indicates a substantial likelihood that the individual had a significant personality disturbance. Therefore, such cases were sorted out. Next, the individuals who reached or exceeded the threshold (i.e. scored five or more on the borderline pathology subscale) were finally categorized into borderline personality pathology group. On the other hand, the non-clinical group consisted of individuals who scored 20 or less on the total PDQ-4+ questionnaire. A total of 100 young adults with 50 in each group were then administered the following four questionnaires, i.e., the Dissociative Experiences Scale II, Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 , the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire and the Creative Experiences Questionnaire. The results revealed a significant difference between borderline personality pathology and the non-clinical group on the measures of dissociation, alexithymia, cognitive failures and fantasy proneness wherein borderline group exhibited greater degree of all those traits. Furthermore, alexithymia, cognitive failures and fantasy proneness were found to be significant predictors of dissociation in borderline personality pathology and the non-clinical groups.