Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing

Pages: 307-311
Pooja Sharma and Anup Sud (Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla)

As social support has been observed as a main buffering agent to the well-being of elderly. In the present study impact of actual social support (provided by the researcher for the period of ten days). has been compared with the control group that was exposed to only breathing exercise, given only at one point. Assessment of the efficacy of the interventions has been made at three points prior to intervention, post intervention and at follow up for both intervention and control group.The supportive intervention has been found to be effective in reducing loneliness and enhancing the negative mood regulation expectancies, perceived availability of social support in terms of number as well as perceived satisfaction with available support among the senior citizens. This reduction has been independent of gender differences. However, no such changes have been observed in the control group.

Pages: 316-317
Jennie Mendes (Sophia College for Women, Mumbai)

The purpose of this study was to translate the Stigma Devaluation Scale (SDS) (Link & Struening, 2001) in Konkani, and to modify it accurately to reflect the cultural parameters specific to Goa. The Cronbach's Alpha was used to measure internal consistency to assess reliability and was found to be 0.87. Construct-validity was determined by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The content-validity and reading level of the Konkani Stigma Devaluation Scale (K-SDS) was measured to be at the seventh grade or lower. It was found to be conceptually consistent with the original scale in measuring stigma perception among catholic families of the mentally ill in Goa.

Pages: 322-325
K N Jayakumar (Department of Psychology, Periyar University, Salem, Tamil Nadu)

Capacity for love is a central component of all human societies. There is an assumption in much of the research that an individual's adult attachment style develops from the relationship that individual has with his or her own parent, the association between early relationships with alcoholic parent/s and subsequent behaviour in love relationships has rarely been studied. The experiences in love-relationship of adult children of alcoholic parents and non- alcoholic parents were studied by comparison. The purposive sample consisted of 200 college student participants who were involved in intimate relationship. They were administered Children of Alcoholics Screening Test and Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised questionnaire. Based on the cut off scores the sample was grouped into two i.e. a) adult children of alcoholic parent/s and b) adult children having non-alcoholic parent/s. When compared, the adults of alcoholic parents had experienced significantly higher levels of anxiety and avoidance in their intimate love relationships.

Pages: 330-333
Neeta Gupta (Department of Psychology, D.A.V. (P.G.) College, Dehradun)

The present study attempts to explore defense oriented reactions of adolescents belonging to high and low socio- economic status. The data was collected on 200 adolescents (100 boys and 100 girls) equally divided into two categories: Respondents belonging to High and Low SES. Bhardwaj's SES Scale (1999) and Mrinal and Mrinal's DMI (1998) were used to assess SES and use of defense oriented reactions of the respondents respectively. The results have revealed some significant differences in the use of defense oriented reactions of adolescents belonging to different social class. For example: 1. Girls of High SES were found to use more TAO and PRO than Boys. 2. Girls of Low SES were also found to use more TAO and PRO while boys of low SES were found to use more PRN, TAS and REV than girls. 3. Boys of High SES were found to use more TAO and REV than boys of low SES. While boys of Low SES were found to use more PRO, PRN and TAS. 4. Girls of high SES were found to report more TAO, PRN and REV while girls of low SES were found to use more PRO and TAS.

Pages: 338-342
Diljot Soin (Department of Psychology, Panjab University, Chandigarh, Punjab)

The evolution of human capital management had brought about many changes in the way managers are selected, managed and retained. As a result, awareness of the evolutionary thoughts on leaders has emerged across the globe, and organizations are continually looking up for the right managers among potential employers who are intrinsically motivated to maintain the efficiency of hired skilled and efficient workforce by becoming driving energies behind them; and continue the value creation for business competitiveness. In this regard, this paper aims to identify the psychological correlates of intrinsically motivated leaders' who can set up an environment that enables talented workforce to remain motivated to deliver the services at their best and sustain excellence in the organizations under the conditions of uncertain economy, layoffs, swiftly changing technology, and economic recession. This paper highlights the conceptualizations of Chan and Drasgow's (2001) motivation to lead theory, Kark and Dejk (2007) topical concept of self-regulatory focus as fundamental strategies for understanding the bases of motivations behind effective leader behaviors. A look at the psychological characteristics of motivated leaders and the reasons behind their motivations to lead may have lot of practical implications for the corporate organizations such as Insurance, Banking, Telecom, Informational technology sectors in the selection and recruitment of motivated managers; predicting their effectiveness and persistence in the work roles assigned to them; and providing them with the necessary training to maximize and sharpen their skills so that they can become more effective in their work roles and move swiftly during the crises situation.

Pages: 345-349
Jyoti Singh and Vijysen Pandey (AIPS, Amity University, Noida, UP)
J. S. Tripathi (Department of Kayachikitsa, IMS, BHU, Varanasi)

This study was aimed to evaluate the impact of Supportive Psychotherapy in the alleviation of mental ill health and adjustment problems of recently diagnosed HIV/AIDS positive people. For this purpose, a total of 40 patients were selected, Supportive Psychotherapy was provided to the participants after baseline assessment and two follow-ups at 15 days interval each were taken. The tools which were used in present study were Middlesex Hospital Questionnaire (MHQ) by Srivastava and Bhatt and an Adjustment Inventory by Tripathi. Apaired sample t-test was conducted and, there was a statistically significant decrease in mental ill health scores from baseline assessment to first follow-up and from first follow-up to second follow-up 26.63, and the same trend was found in the case of adjustment problems which compared with baseline assessment to first fallow-up and from first follow-up to second follow-up. We can say on the basis of the results that Supportive Psychotherapy is quite helpful for the HIV/AIDS positive people to cope with their mental ill health and adjustment related problems after the diagnosis of the disease and to improve their quality of life.

Pages: 353-357
Sandeep Singh and Soamya (Department of Applied Psychology, GJU S&T, Hisar, Haryana)

Stress is the term used to describe the physical, emotional, cognitive and behavioral responses to events that are appraised as threatening or challenging. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in more integrative stress-reduction techniques that attempt to address not only a person's mental and physical ailments, but also his or her interpersonal, emotional and spiritual needs (Eisenberg et al., 1990-97, 1998). Complementary and alternative medicine interventions such as yoga, rhythmic breathing exercises, meditation, relaxation, and chanting techniques have significantly reduced stress-induced psychological disorders (Gupta et al., 2006; Michalsen et al., 2005; Smith et al., 2007). The present study examines the effect of three months mindfulness training versus breathing exercises o1n physio-cognitive aspects of stress. The study was conducted on a sample of 30 participants (10 participants in each group) having high stress level with average age of 22 years. Intensity of stress was assessed with the Cohen's (1988) 14 items perceived stress scale and PGI Health Questionnaire by Verma (1985) was used to assess the physical as well as psychological wellbeing. Physiological Correlates of the stress were measured by Finger Pulse Feedback, EMG, Respiration, and Electro sleep feedback. Participants were randomly assigned to Mindfulness, Breathing Exercise group. Applying the pre post test design the intervention continued for the period of three months. The findings revealed that the mindfulness training, breathing exercises have threshold impact in reducing the stress and improving the well being among participants. Study also revealed the restoration of normal levels of EMG, respiration and pulse feedback in experimental groups.

Pages: 362-364
Naorem Binita Devi (Department of Psychology, Mizoram University, Mizoram)

Male differences among the normal and HIV-infected on the sub-scales of somatic complaints, anxiety, and anxiety related disorders were assesses in the randomly selected from the Manipur Population. Sample includes fifty for normal and fifty from HIV-infected patients. HIV-infected sample are those of drug abuse (heroin no. IV) and syringe sharing. Data are collected with the help of NGOs people working for the HIV-infected patients. For normal sample, data are collected from the Kakching area, Manipur. All the sub-scales i.e., conversion, somatization, health concerns, cognitive, affective, physiological, obsessive-compulsive, phobias and traumatic concerns are measured by Morey's (1991) Personality Assessment Inventory. Each sub-scales consist of eight items each (total items are seventy two). Results of the present study indicates significant differences on the conversion, somatization, health concerns, cognitive, affective, physiological, phobias, and traumatic stress. It further suggests that obsessive- compulsive has non-significant differences among the Normal and HIV-infected patients.

Pages: 369-373
Ashima Soni (Department of Psychology, Panjab University, Chandigarh)
The present study examined gender differences in self esteem, parent adolescent relationship and sibling relationship in secondary school students. The sample for the present study comprised of 600 (300 males and 300 females) secondary school students of the private and public schools from Chandigarh and Mohali studying in tenth, eleventh and twelveth class. The sample was drawn using the random sampling technique. The private and public schools were chosen randomly by selecting schools in different sectors of Chandigarh and Mohali in order to have full representation of the students of tenth, eleventh and twelveth class across Chandigarh and Mohali. The inclusion criteria used for sample selection was that age of the students ranged from 15-19 years and students coming only from intact families and having at least one sibling were considered for the study. The tools comprised of Self Esteem Scale (Rosenberg, 1979), Parent Adolescent Relationship Questionnaire (Prinz , 1979) and Sibling relationship questionnaire (Furman & Buhrmester, 1985). Results indicate no significant gender differences in self esteem and parent adolescent relationship. However, significant differences were found on dimensions of status and warmth dimension of sibling relationship but no significant differences were found on conflict and rivalry dimension of sibling relationship.

Pages: 378-382
Jaishree Jain (Department of Psychology, S.S.Jain Subodh P.G. Girls College, Jaipur)
Arvind Jinger and Pradeep Sharma (Department of Psychiatry SMS Medical College, Jaipur)

The epidemic of violence directed at women and girls constitutes a major human rights issue and a public health crisis. Around the world women are regularly beaten and sexually abused by intimate partners, family members, neighbors, and by people not known to them. Besides the physical suffering to women, such violence has a profound impact on women's psychological well-being, on their reproductive health and security of their families and communities. The study was aimed to evaluate the role of family environment in relation to violence against women. The present study was carried out on a sample population of 35 women consecutively attending Mahila Salah Suraksha Kendra, Violence against women counseling Centre Jaipur and same number of control group vertical taken from relative of these women with suitable inclusion and exclusion criteria. The two groups were compared for their following measures of Sociodemographic Proforma and Identification Data Sheet, moos family environment scale (Indian cultural norms as per end Hindi adoption by Joshi and Vyas, (1987).The results revealed that The case group woman have demonstrated significant less mean scores on all the ten measures of family environment scale (viz. cohesion, expressiveness, conflict, independence, achievement orientation, intellectual orientation, active recreational orientation, moral religious emphasis).It's suggest that case group women have come from poor family environment.

Pages: 385-387
Mahe Naz and Saeeduzzafar (Department of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh)

The present study was conducted to compare quality of life of blind and normal students in different domains namely, physical health, psychological functioning, social relationships and environmental functioning, in addition overall quality of life and general health. Hence, a sample of 60 students was used, in which 30 were blinds and 30 were normal students. To measure the quality of life WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire developed by World Health Organization (1997) was used. Data were analyzed by t-test. The findings revealed that the blind and normal subjects did not differ significantly on physical health, social relationships and general health, while these two groups differ significantly on the domain of psychological functioning, environmental functioning and overall quality of life. The results were exhaustively discussed in the light of existing findings and other possible explanations of the findings were also offered.

Pages: 391-393
Sudhir Padghan (Department of Psychology, Dnyanopasak College, Parbhani, Maharashtra)

The concern of present research was to investigate the effect of religious and socio economic status on college girls students' personality criteria namely locus of control. The sample was confined to the colleges of Parbhani District of Maharashtra. The stratified randomize sample taken into consideration for the study was consisted of 120 college going girls belonging to the age group of 17 to 23 years, out of which 60 belongs to Hindu community and 60 belongs to Muslim community as per objective. Both the groups were equally subdivided into two group's i.e. low and high SES students. The data were collected by using test namely; Rotter's Locus of Control Scale. To analyze the data the present investigation deals with 2 x 2 factorial design and data was analyzed using 2 Way ANOVA. Results revealed that both religious and socio economic status were significant on locus of control of college going girls.

Pages: 396-398
Sisira C. and B.Rangaiah (Department of Applied Psychology, Pondicherry University, Pondicherry)

There is a belief regarding HIV/AIDS that it affects only the immune system but the underlying truth is that decline in mental processes is another complication of HIV/AIDS infection. The present study aimed to assess the reaction time and attention of individuals with HIV positive and to compare it with Normal individuals. It was hypothesized that there would be a significant difference between HIV positive and Normal individuals on the measures of attention and reaction time. The neuropsychological tools Trail making test and reaction time test were administered to 30 HIV positive patients and were contrasted with those of 30 control subjects. Results of this study revealed that there was a significant difference between HIV positive and Normal individuals on the measure of attention (P<0.01). In reaction time the difference is more significant in simple reaction time (P<0.02) than in the choice reaction time (P<0.05). Reaction time and attention were significantly weakened in HIV-positive subjects compared to Normal individuals. Hence, the present study enlightens the importance of considering the cognitive aspects while rehabilitating the patients. The paper also discussed the further implications of the study.