Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
Background:The higher prevalence of depressive symptoms among women demands an in-depth exploration of every possible mechanism through which depressive symptoms may prevail. Identifying any malleable mechanism may open a new pathway through which such symptoms could be targeted. We explored the association between neuroticism, rumination, anxiety, and depressive symptoms and tested a moderated mediation model with anxiety as a mediator in the relationship between neuroticism and depressive symptoms, and rumination as a moderator of the effect of neuroticism on anxiety.Method:This cross-sectional study was conducted on Indian women living in the state of Punjab. A total of 671 adult females responded to the translated versions of standardized questionnaires measuring the relevant constructs.Results:The mean (SD) age of the sample was 23.71 (6.09) years. As hypothesized, anxiety significantly mediated the relationship between neuroticism and depression, and the use of rumination moderated the effect of neuroticism on anxiety. Among women with a high score on neuroticism, those with low ruminating tendencies showed less anxiety and depression than others who scored high on rumination.Conclusion:The findings imply that a reduction in rumination may help women, especially those who are high on neuroticism, manage their vulnerabilities toward anxiety and depressive symptoms. Personality traits being not that malleable, targeting a reduction of rumination usage, which is both a trans-diagnostic factor and a malleable one, can help address the surging prevalence of common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression through appropriately devised interventions.
Category Archives: Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine
Effect of Virtual Reality on Sleep-Deprived Individuals
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
Background:Sleep deprivation (SD) refers to getting less than the required amount of sleep, which for adults ranges from 7 to 9 h of sleep per night and can be caused by social and biological factors. College students experience SD, which can affect their academic performance, health, and mood. Virtual Reality Therapy (VRT), an upcoming method of intervention, has been used in other psychological conditions with positive outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of VRT on individuals with SD.Methods:This quasi-experimental study recruited 28 individuals based on the scores of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Athens Insomnia Scale, and Beck’s Depression Inventory, which were used as the inclusion and exclusion criteria. VRT sessions of 20 min were given twice a week for 2 weeks. PSQI was also used as an outcome measure, immediately and 2 weeks after the interventionResults:A significant difference was found between the baseline and post-intervention PSQI scores (p = 0.001, effect size = 1.2). There was not much difference between the PSQI scores immediately and 2 weeks after the intervention.Conclusion:VRT was effective in improving sleep in individuals with SD.
Background:Sleep deprivation (SD) refers to getting less than the required amount of sleep, which for adults ranges from 7 to 9 h of sleep per night and can be caused by social and biological factors. College students experience SD, which can affect their academic performance, health, and mood. Virtual Reality Therapy (VRT), an upcoming method of intervention, has been used in other psychological conditions with positive outcomes. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of VRT on individuals with SD.Methods:This quasi-experimental study recruited 28 individuals based on the scores of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Athens Insomnia Scale, and Beck’s Depression Inventory, which were used as the inclusion and exclusion criteria. VRT sessions of 20 min were given twice a week for 2 weeks. PSQI was also used as an outcome measure, immediately and 2 weeks after the interventionResults:A significant difference was found between the baseline and post-intervention PSQI scores (p = 0.001, effect size = 1.2). There was not much difference between the PSQI scores immediately and 2 weeks after the intervention.Conclusion:VRT was effective in improving sleep in individuals with SD.
Should We Re-estimate the Seizure Threshold during Maintenance ECT?
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
Cognitive Control Training Using a Novel Smartphone Application in Remitted Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Pilot Study
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
A Multisite Longitudinal Investigation of Psychological Outcomes Following Cataract Surgery in India
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
Background:Systematic data on mental health issues among adults with cataracts are not available from India. This study explored the impact of cataract surgery on depressive and generalized anxiety (GA) symptoms in an adult Indian sample.Methods:A multicenter, prospective, longitudinal cohort study was conducted. Subjects were recruited from four tertiary eye hospitals to assess depression, GA, and associated risk factors. A follow-up survey was carried out at 6 (n = 273, group 1), 12 (n = 198, group 2), or 18 months (n = 105, group 3) post-cataract surgery. Variations in the intensity of depression and GA were assessed using multiple classification analysis (MCA).Results:A total of 576 patients completed both baseline and follow-up assessments. The mean (SD) depression score was 25.6 (8.5) before surgery and 8.6 (7.7), 9.9 (7), and 9.8 (6.8), respectively, post-surgery for the three groups on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D). The mean GA score was 6.7 (4.2) at baseline and 1.1 (2.3), 1 (1.8), and 0.6 (1.3) after surgery on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). MCA showed that factors with the highest impact on the mean change scores for both depressive and GA symptoms were restoration of vision post-surgery (β = 0.381 and 0.185) in group 1, regaining functional independence and female sex in group 2 (β = 0.192 and 0.23), and the presence of ocular comorbidities in the fellow eye (β = 0.36 and 0.315) in group 3.Conclusion:Mental health symptoms improved significantly post-cataract surgery across the three groups. The urgent need to invest in strategies that enable early cataract case detection and treat ocular anomalies in the fellow eye is highlighted.
Background:Systematic data on mental health issues among adults with cataracts are not available from India. This study explored the impact of cataract surgery on depressive and generalized anxiety (GA) symptoms in an adult Indian sample.Methods:A multicenter, prospective, longitudinal cohort study was conducted. Subjects were recruited from four tertiary eye hospitals to assess depression, GA, and associated risk factors. A follow-up survey was carried out at 6 (n = 273, group 1), 12 (n = 198, group 2), or 18 months (n = 105, group 3) post-cataract surgery. Variations in the intensity of depression and GA were assessed using multiple classification analysis (MCA).Results:A total of 576 patients completed both baseline and follow-up assessments. The mean (SD) depression score was 25.6 (8.5) before surgery and 8.6 (7.7), 9.9 (7), and 9.8 (6.8), respectively, post-surgery for the three groups on the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale (CES-D). The mean GA score was 6.7 (4.2) at baseline and 1.1 (2.3), 1 (1.8), and 0.6 (1.3) after surgery on the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7). MCA showed that factors with the highest impact on the mean change scores for both depressive and GA symptoms were restoration of vision post-surgery (β = 0.381 and 0.185) in group 1, regaining functional independence and female sex in group 2 (β = 0.192 and 0.23), and the presence of ocular comorbidities in the fellow eye (β = 0.36 and 0.315) in group 3.Conclusion:Mental health symptoms improved significantly post-cataract surgery across the three groups. The urgent need to invest in strategies that enable early cataract case detection and treat ocular anomalies in the fellow eye is highlighted.
National Drug Laws, Policies, and Programs in India: A Narrative Review
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
Background:Drug use is a major public health issue in India. Significant changes in the approach toward drug use have happened in the last few decades. Despite this, no systematic attempt has been made to document the same in the scientific literature. This narrative review attempts to discuss the major drug laws, policies, and national programs of the Government of India (GoI).Methods:A thorough search was conducted to look for policies, programs, acts, and notifications related to substance use/drug use on various websites of different ministries of the GoI. Acts, programs, and policies addressing substance use were identified.Results:Various drug laws, programs, and acts from the GoI provide a multipronged approach to curbing the procurement of drug use along with its prevention and cure. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) is the nodal ministry for drug demand reduction. The enactment of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985 and Policy 2012 and the implementation of India’s Drug De-Addiction Program (DDAP) are important landmarks in this journey.Conclusion:The GoI initiatives for reducing the mental health burden in this country in general and substance use disorders (SUDs), in particular, are immense. The acts/statutes/laws/notifications are all interlinked. Stakeholders in mental health, public health, and policy-making need to upgrade themselves with the relevant statutes to curb the menace of drug use.
Background:Drug use is a major public health issue in India. Significant changes in the approach toward drug use have happened in the last few decades. Despite this, no systematic attempt has been made to document the same in the scientific literature. This narrative review attempts to discuss the major drug laws, policies, and national programs of the Government of India (GoI).Methods:A thorough search was conducted to look for policies, programs, acts, and notifications related to substance use/drug use on various websites of different ministries of the GoI. Acts, programs, and policies addressing substance use were identified.Results:Various drug laws, programs, and acts from the GoI provide a multipronged approach to curbing the procurement of drug use along with its prevention and cure. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MoSJE) is the nodal ministry for drug demand reduction. The enactment of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act 1985 and Policy 2012 and the implementation of India’s Drug De-Addiction Program (DDAP) are important landmarks in this journey.Conclusion:The GoI initiatives for reducing the mental health burden in this country in general and substance use disorders (SUDs), in particular, are immense. The acts/statutes/laws/notifications are all interlinked. Stakeholders in mental health, public health, and policy-making need to upgrade themselves with the relevant statutes to curb the menace of drug use.
Addressing Substance Use: National Suicide Prevention Strategy of India from an Addiction Psychiatry Perspective
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
Evaluating the Experience of a Postgraduate and Faculty Study Tour Program in the Field of Mental Health: A Mixed-methods Study
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Volume 45, Issue 5, Page 511-518, September 2023.
Background:Study tours are known to have an important role in enriching the knowledge of students in all fields. Our study aimed to evaluate the experience of a postgraduate and faculty study tour in the field of mental health.Methods:We obtained both quantitative and descriptive feedback from 31 participants who had taken part in the annual study tour conducted in the years 2014–2018 using a specially designed feedback pro forma.Results:All the participants reported overall satisfaction with the tour. Learning was enhanced, and most found the tour relevant to their current field of study. They particularly enjoyed the experience of traveling in a peer group without faculty supervision and learning to make decisions as a group. Their chief concerns were about the continuous travel and the limited time allotted to each center.Conclusions:A well-planned study tour during training helps trainees in the mental health field improve their knowledge, hone practical skills, and learn life lessons; it promotes bonding with peers and fosters self-directed learning and independence. The limitations were the inability to have direct face-to-face interviews with most participants and the study tour centers being limited to a small geographical area.
Background:Study tours are known to have an important role in enriching the knowledge of students in all fields. Our study aimed to evaluate the experience of a postgraduate and faculty study tour in the field of mental health.Methods:We obtained both quantitative and descriptive feedback from 31 participants who had taken part in the annual study tour conducted in the years 2014–2018 using a specially designed feedback pro forma.Results:All the participants reported overall satisfaction with the tour. Learning was enhanced, and most found the tour relevant to their current field of study. They particularly enjoyed the experience of traveling in a peer group without faculty supervision and learning to make decisions as a group. Their chief concerns were about the continuous travel and the limited time allotted to each center.Conclusions:A well-planned study tour during training helps trainees in the mental health field improve their knowledge, hone practical skills, and learn life lessons; it promotes bonding with peers and fosters self-directed learning and independence. The limitations were the inability to have direct face-to-face interviews with most participants and the study tour centers being limited to a small geographical area.
Effectiveness of Music on Perinatal Anxiety Among Pregnant Women and Newborn Behaviors: A Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
Background:Perinatal anxiety affects the antenatal woman, the growing fetus, and the newborn. This systematic review evaluated the effect of listening to music on perinatal anxiety among pregnant women and on newborn behaviors. No available reviews focus on interventions that include only classical forms of music or its benefit on perinatal anxiety among low-risk pregnant women or on newborn behaviors.Methods:We included peer-reviewed primary research studies on the effect of music on perinatal anxiety, published in English, between January 2010 and August 2022. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and ProQuest were searched using specific keywords, resulting in 225 studies for screening by title, abstract, and full text. Two independent reviewers screened them and assessed the quality of the included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using Cochrane’s Risk of Bias 2.0 tool (RoB2) and non-randomized controlled trial studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tool. Due to the heterogeneity of outcome measures, the review’s findings were summarized qualitatively.Results:Nine studies with 1646 pregnant women and one with 260 pregnant women and their neonates were included. Results of all studies suggest that listening to classical music reduces the anxiety levels among pregnant women, as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Only one study reported the beneficial effect of antenatal exposure to music on improving newborn behaviors like orientation (ES 1.13, 95% CI: 0.82–1.44, P < 0.0001) and habituation (ES 1.05, 95% CI: 0.53–1.57, P = 0.0001). The risk of bias was unclear in most of the studies.Conclusions:Listening to classical music during the perinatal period may be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for reducing anxiety and pain and improving sleep quality and newborn behaviors. There is a need to conduct further interventional studies on the types of music provided and their effects on perinatal health outcomes.Registration of the Protocol:The review was prospectively registered in PROSPERO 2021 CRD42021256806.
Background:Perinatal anxiety affects the antenatal woman, the growing fetus, and the newborn. This systematic review evaluated the effect of listening to music on perinatal anxiety among pregnant women and on newborn behaviors. No available reviews focus on interventions that include only classical forms of music or its benefit on perinatal anxiety among low-risk pregnant women or on newborn behaviors.Methods:We included peer-reviewed primary research studies on the effect of music on perinatal anxiety, published in English, between January 2010 and August 2022. PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and ProQuest were searched using specific keywords, resulting in 225 studies for screening by title, abstract, and full text. Two independent reviewers screened them and assessed the quality of the included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) using Cochrane’s Risk of Bias 2.0 tool (RoB2) and non-randomized controlled trial studies using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tool. Due to the heterogeneity of outcome measures, the review’s findings were summarized qualitatively.Results:Nine studies with 1646 pregnant women and one with 260 pregnant women and their neonates were included. Results of all studies suggest that listening to classical music reduces the anxiety levels among pregnant women, as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Only one study reported the beneficial effect of antenatal exposure to music on improving newborn behaviors like orientation (ES 1.13, 95% CI: 0.82–1.44, P < 0.0001) and habituation (ES 1.05, 95% CI: 0.53–1.57, P = 0.0001). The risk of bias was unclear in most of the studies.Conclusions:Listening to classical music during the perinatal period may be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for reducing anxiety and pain and improving sleep quality and newborn behaviors. There is a need to conduct further interventional studies on the types of music provided and their effects on perinatal health outcomes.Registration of the Protocol:The review was prospectively registered in PROSPERO 2021 CRD42021256806.
Clinical Profile, Course, and Outcome of Secondary Catatonia: A Case Series
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.