Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing

Pages: 316-319
Garima Choudhary and Jatinder K. Gulati (Department of Human Development, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab)

Adolescence has been labeled as a stage of storm and stress. Life skills are the abilities for adaptive and positive behavior that enable individuals to deal effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. As today's adolescent girls are tomorrow's women, development of appropriate life skills and capabilities among them has prime importance to ensure them to lead quality life. The present study was undertaken to assess the developmental status in terms of selected life skills such as self confidence, interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence and stress management of urban adolescent girls living in low socio-economic conditions. The sample was comprised of 150 adolescent girls aged between 15 to 17 years studying in the government senior secondary schools of Ludhiana City and belonging to low socio economic status. The results revealed that girls having graduate parents and non working mothers, more number of siblings and joint families, possessed greater self confidence, better interpersonal skills, while daughters of matriculate mothers perceived greater stress as well as used more stress coping strategies as compared to their counterparts from other categories.

Pages: 325-327
Sunita Tiwari and Pooja Garg (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttrakhand)
Sunita Tiwari and Pooja Garg (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttrakhand)

According to Bowlby, early attachment experiences with parents provide prototypes for later interpersonal relationships outside the family. The basic premise of the study is based on early childhood experiences that people develop general expectations about relationships. Then once formalized into mental structures, these beliefs are resistant to changes and have implications for the nature of one's relationships across the life span. In the present study, the relation between the early attachment experiences with parents and adult interpersonal relationships (love and friendship relationships) were examined. The sample comprises of 100 married college students (50 females and 50 males). Parental Attachment Questionnaire (PAQ) was used to assess the subject's perception about their parents' attitude towards them and their relationship with their father and mother. QRI (Quality of relationship inventory) was used for the assessment of love and for friendship relationships. The results supported the hypothesis that early parent-child attachment experience is significantly related to adult interpersonal relationship.

Pages: 331-333
Saima Hafiz (Department of Psychology, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, Punjab)

The present study aims to find out the difference in level of adjustment of college students in relation to their gender and area of living. The sample consisted of 60 college students out of which 30 participants were from urban area and 30 from rural area. The data were analyzed by using t-test to obtain mean differences between college students. The result shows that there is significant difference in adjustment of males and females and also in terms of area of living i.e. urban and rural. The surroundings in which adolescents live have an important impact on the personality of an individual. These environments interact with the characteristics of adolescents to procreate contrasting levels of adjustment. Adjustment is an important tool for the survival of each and every organism.

Pages: 338-340
Deepika, Harish and Neha Jain (Department of Psychology, M. D. University, Rohtak, Haryana)

The present study was aimed at studying a comparative study of aggression in State and District level sports persons of Haryana. (Body Builders) was measured with the help of aggression questionnaire by G.C. Pati (1977). Total sample of the study comprised of 100 sports persons (Body Builders) were consisted in which Group I consisted of 50 sports person of District Level. The Group II consisted of 50 sports person of State Level. Obtained data analyzed with the help of t-test. Result showed no significant difference between state and district level sports person (Body Builders) on aggression has been supported. Results have been discussed in the light of previous studies.

Pages: 344-349
Aparna Pathak (Department of Psychology, Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, U.P.)

This article attempts to explore whether sexual harassment and unwanted sexual attention from strangers in public is a frequent experience for women. The Supreme Court's definition of sexual harassment includes “such unwelcome sexually determined behaviour (whether directly or by implication) as physical contact and advances; a demand or request for sexual favours; sexually coloured remarks; showing pornography; any other unwelcome physical, verbal or non verbal conduct of sexual nature”. These include comments, jokes, whistling, filmi songs, continuously phoning a person. Gender harassment involves degradation of women at the group level such as making jokes about women as a group or posting pictures of women as sex objects. Unwanted sexual attention involves degradation of women at the individual level, such as treating a woman as a sex object by sending her dirty emails, grabbing her inappropriately, or leering at her. Harassment coping responses fall into four categories: (a) advocacy seeking recruiting formal support from organizational authorities; (b) social coping mobilizing emotional support and advice from trusted others; (c) avoidance/denialavoiding the harassing situation physically (e.g., avoiding the harasser's workstation) or cognitively (e.g., denying the seriousness of the situation); and (d) confrontation/ negotiation directly requesting or insisting that the offensive behavior cease.

Pages: 354-356
Vinod Chayal and Pardeep Khanna (Department of Community Medicine PGIMS, Rohtak, Haryana)
Pooja (Medical Officer, Health Department, Haryana)
Anuradha (Medical Officer Indian Army)
Mukesh Nagar (Medical Officer, VMMC & Safadarjang Hospital, New Delhi)
Shweta Goswami (Department of Community, Medicine KPC Medical College & Hospital, Kolkata)

Influenza Subtype A has caused various pandemics; in 1918-19 Spanish flu [A (H1N1)], Asian Flu [A (H2N2)] 1957-59, Hongkong Flu [A (H3N2)] 1968-69 and “Swine Flu” [A (H1N1)] 2009-10. H1N1 flu virus causes respiratory illness in people, affecting the nose, throat and lungs. Influenza can be transmitted through airborne route by droplets from infected human beings or direct contact or contact with fomites. Agent H1N1 influenza derives Segments from four influenza viruses; North American Swine, North American Avian, Human Influenza and Eurasian Swine. Pigs Infected with Influenza virus from different host of human or bird origin may act as “mixing vessel” which may lead to reassortment of influenza genes and can create a new strain of influenza virus. Subtype A of Influenza virus can Undergo mutation that can take place within the genome (Antigenic drift) / or re- assortment among the genetic materials of subtypes (Antigenic Shift) resulting in a new virus. Antigenic analyses of the recent circulating A (H3N2) viruses have shown differences from the A (H3N2) virus used in the influenza vaccines for 20142015. Recently, countries in Northern Africa, Middle East, and India reported an increase in influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 activity. The predominant strain in western countries has been seasonal influenza A (H3N2) where as in India the California strain of 2009 is prevailing. It has been reported that the recent 2014-2015 H1N1A outbreak in India has resulted in >30,000 cases with over 2000 deaths. These recent spurt of cases and deaths which was even higher than the original H1N1 2009 outbreak in India resulted in a widespread debate that this strain H1N1A 2009 has mutated or not. Improved surveillance and monitoring of the influenza outbreak is need of the hour to both treat as well as prevent spread of the virus. Due to better connectivity world over and high infectious nature of influenza, there is an urgent need to develop a comprehensive and a standardized response to influenza epidemic outbreaks. There is a need of genetic and phenotypic analysis of the virus as and when cases are reported world over and general dissemination of the data is needed to ensure access to this data source in case of any outbreak.

Pages: 364-368
R. B. Jain (Department of Community Medicine PGIMS, Rohtak, Haryana)
Anand Kumar Sharma (Department of Physiology MMMC&H, Kumarhatti, Solan, H.P.)
Sami Magray (Department of Pharmacology MMMC&H, Kumarhatti, Solan, H.P.)
Sumit Chawla (Department of Community Medicine MMMC&H, Kumarhatti, Solan, H.P.) Bharti (SMO, WHO)
Inderjeet Singh and Vikas Gupta (Department of Community Medicine PGIMS, Rohtak, Haryana)

Tobacco use is today's major public health concern in our country, which can be largely reduced by primordial and primary prevention. According to NFHS III, 57% of men and 10.8% of women use any kind of tobacco in India. To determine the prevalence and correlates of tobacco use among the rural community of block Beri, district Jhajjar, Haryana. This cross-sectional study was carried out during the period of September 2012 to August 2013.Multistage random sampling was used in this study. Asample size of 1080 was included in the study Appropriate statistical tests were used for analysis. The overall prevalence of current tobacco use was found to be 26.9% (tobacco-smoking: 26.4%; tobacco-smokeless: 2.7%) and it was found to be higher among males as 46.7% (tobacco-smoking: 46.3%; tobacco-smokeless: 4.4%) than7.2% in females (tobacco-smoking: 6.5%; tobacco-smokeless: 0.9%). Our study confirmed the high burden of tobacco use in rural areas and reiterated the need to address these issues comprehensively as a part of NCD prevention and control strategy.

Pages: 374-378
Naved Iqbal, Mehfooz Ahmad, Riyaz Yaqoob Wani, Sheema Aleem, and Abeer Abdul Majeed (Department of Psychology, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi)

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative, progressive and irreversible chronic brain disease. It has an insidious onset; is characterized by gradual loss of cognitive and behavioral functions, and by affection disturbances, compromising the physical, mental and social integrity of the elderly. Present study examined anxiety, depression and psychological well-being among the Caregivers of Alzheimer's disease Patients. Sinha's anxiety scale, Beck depression inventory (BDI) and Ryff's scale of psychological well-being were administered on 20 the subjects in VIMHANS, New Delhi. The data were analyzed by using small sample t- test. Results demonstrated that significant differences were found between male and female caregivers on depression, self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, and environmental mastery dimensions of psychological wellbeing. Female scored higher than male on depression whereas, male scored higher than females on self-acceptance, positive relations with others, autonomy, and environmental mastery dimensions of psychological wellbeing. However, significant differences were not found between male and female caregivers on anxiety, purpose in life, and personal growth dimensions of psychological wellbeing.

Pages: 384-388
Sadananda Reddy (Department of Social Work, Don Bosco Academy Degree and P.G College, Nalgonda, Telangana)
Prasad K. (Department of Psychiatric Social Work, NIMHANS, Bangalore)
Nidhi Mehta (Department of Clinical Psychology RINPAS, Kanke, Ranchi)

Mental disorders are highly prevalent and have been associated with considerable suffering and impacts on emotional and physical health, functioning, and costs. Worldwide, epidemiological surveys have estimated rates of lifetime prevalence of mental disorders among adults and children ranging from 12.2 to 48.6%, and 12-month prevalence rates ranging from 8.4 to 29.1%. Recognizing barriers and their individual contributions to delaying or preventing access to mental health services is a key step to overcome obstacles. To assess barriers to access psychiatric care in children and adolescents with first episode psychosis. This study is cross sectional, hospital based, single contact, time bound study from June to December, 2012. Purposive sampling technique is used to select the samples of the study. This study is conducted at Out-Patient Department of Centre for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (CCAP) of Central Institute of Psychiatry (CIP), Kanke, Ranchi. Respondents of present study were the primary caregivers of the patient. The tools were assessed on Socio Demographic and Clinical Data Sheet and the Barriers to Access to Care Evaluation (BACE) scale was developed in the Health Services and Population Research Department of the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, in London. The present study findings indicates that children and adolescents with first episode psychosis had moderate level of barriers having to access psychiatric care, children and adolescents had experienced more instrumental barriers, the reasons why people with mental ill health sometimes avoid or delay seeking help from health services are numerous and include instrumental barriers. Present study findings indicate that early recognition and treatment is crucial to improve illness course and prognosis and to reduce treatment complexity and costs for children and adolescents with first episode psychosis. Barriers to access, children and adolescents, first episode & psychiatric care.

Pages: 400-406
Bidisha Banerjee (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh)
Bidisha Banerjee (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh)

The present paper provides the historical background of inclusion of the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) and six interconnected phases have been identified. The paper also highlighted the controversies regarding PTSD diagnostic criteria along with its misuses. Moreover, the paper discusses the inapplicability of PTSD diagnosis criteria to different cultural and social context and tries to advocate the necessity of an alternative approach of research to understand the reality of trauma and its victim. By providing five exemplary works which have portrayed trauma differently from the traditional views, this paper tries to highlight the limitations of bio-medical model in non-western context.

Pages: 411-413
Shabahat Bano (Department of Psychology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh)

The present study examined the parenting practice (parental acceptance, parental avoidance and parental concentration) on adjustment patterns(home adjustment, health adjustment, social adjustment and emotional adjustment) in male and female adolescents. The present sample comprised of 300 subjects, 150 male and 150 female between 14 to 20 years of age recruited randomly from high schools and students in graduate courses. Here, a cultured family relationship inventory by Brunken and Crites (1964) and Bell adjustment rating inventory (Hindi form) by Hussain, (1969) were used . The result indicated a negative and significant correlation between scores of parental acceptance and the scores of home (r=-.833), health (r=-.741), social (r=-.717), emotional (r=-.650) and total adjustment (r=-.818) (in case of adjustment negative sign shows better adjustment), which indicates that those who were high on their parental acceptance were also high on their home, health, social, emotional, as well as on their total adjustment. Also negative and significant correlation between parental concentration and gender (r=- .147) at .05 level of significance were also found. However, parental concentration is not significantly correlated with parental avoidance (r=.031), home (r=-.059), health (r=-.085), social (r=-.093), emotional (r=-.018) and total adjustment (r=-.070) of adolescents. When mean comparison was carried out on male and female adolescents. It was found that, female adolescents scored significantly higher (mean = 45.48) than the male adolescents (mean = 39.25) on parental acceptance. Similarly, female group were also found to be more adjusted on all areas of adjustment and its sub-dimensions than male group. Moreover the present study has also revealed the role of parental concentration on female adolescents. The findings of the present study suggest that since adolescence is a period of transition and, parents play a central role in their process of adjustment. Perception of parental acceptance and warmth would make adolescents self confident and independent in cognitive and social sphere.

Pages: 418-421
Pardeep Kumar and J. S. Bidlan (Department of Psychology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana)

The purpose of this study was to explore the effectiveness of Naglieri's Planning Facilitation Method (PF) in mathematical deficits and among PASS processes of children with mathematical disabilities. A sample of 140 students (9-12 years), 70 in control group and 70 in experimental group were tested on Wide Range Achievement Test - 4 (WRAT - 4) and Das Battery of Cognitive Assessment System (CAS) in pre and post test conditions. Mathematical disabled children were diagnosed as scoring below 16th percentile on particular WRAT - 4 and CAS subtest. The experimental group received PF intervention for 4 months and was retested on WRAT - 4 and CAS. Results revealed that control group did not differ in any of the areas of maths and PASS processes. However, the experimental group recorded remarkable improvement on math computation and planning and simultaneous synthesis (P<.001). The findings provide an evidence of planning facilitation method's effectiveness in enhancing these deficit areas of children with mathematical disability.