Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
Category Archives: Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine
Undergraduate Research Elective under Competency- Based Medical Education (CBME) in India: Challenges and Directions
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Volume 45, Issue 5, Page 548-551, September 2023.
Nerve Growth Factor in Psychiatric Disorders: A Scoping Review
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
Background:Neurotrophins have been implicated in multiple psychiatric disorders. Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) is one of the major neurotrophins that has attracted much research interest. Therefore, we undertook, to the best of our knowledge, the first scoping review encompassing all major psychiatric disorders and their relation to NGF. This review aimed to identify the current position of NGF in psychiatric research and to outline present gaps in knowledge, which can be answered with a more detailed systematic review in the future.Methods:Suitable studies were identified using PubMed. A total of 20 studies were included in the review: two on bipolar affective disorder (BPAD), three on schizophrenia, seven on depression, and eight on alcohol use disorder.Results:NGF levels are definitively reduced in BPAD and depression, while NGF levels in schizophrenia decreased further after treatment than in the drug-naïve state. The effect of treatment on NGF levels in depression varied based on treatment modalities and severity of depression. In patients with depression, raised NGF was a predictor of conversion to bipolar disorder (BD). NGF levels were raised in acute alcohol intoxication and withdrawal but normalized slowly as abstinence was maintained. NGF may play a protective role in preventing the toxic ill effect of acute alcohol intoxication on the central nervous system.Conclusion:Based on current knowledge, NGF levels may be a useful biomarker of a chronic mental stress condition. However, further research is needed before it can be used to identify a specific psychiatric illness or predict treatment response.
Background:Neurotrophins have been implicated in multiple psychiatric disorders. Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) is one of the major neurotrophins that has attracted much research interest. Therefore, we undertook, to the best of our knowledge, the first scoping review encompassing all major psychiatric disorders and their relation to NGF. This review aimed to identify the current position of NGF in psychiatric research and to outline present gaps in knowledge, which can be answered with a more detailed systematic review in the future.Methods:Suitable studies were identified using PubMed. A total of 20 studies were included in the review: two on bipolar affective disorder (BPAD), three on schizophrenia, seven on depression, and eight on alcohol use disorder.Results:NGF levels are definitively reduced in BPAD and depression, while NGF levels in schizophrenia decreased further after treatment than in the drug-naïve state. The effect of treatment on NGF levels in depression varied based on treatment modalities and severity of depression. In patients with depression, raised NGF was a predictor of conversion to bipolar disorder (BD). NGF levels were raised in acute alcohol intoxication and withdrawal but normalized slowly as abstinence was maintained. NGF may play a protective role in preventing the toxic ill effect of acute alcohol intoxication on the central nervous system.Conclusion:Based on current knowledge, NGF levels may be a useful biomarker of a chronic mental stress condition. However, further research is needed before it can be used to identify a specific psychiatric illness or predict treatment response.
Level of Satisfaction Towards Healthcare Services in Patients Attending Psychiatry Outpatient Department of a Tertiary Care Hospital in Eastern India
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
Background:Patients’ satisfaction with healthcare services contributes to their compliance with the treatment and thus impacts their health. Therefore, patient satisfaction is increasingly being used as an indicator of health system performance in a country. Though several studies have been reported from different parts of India, most did not include psychiatric patients. This study assessed the level of satisfaction of psychiatric outpatients and its association with socio-demographic, hospital-related, and treatment-related variables.Methods:This cross-sectional study assessed 152 patients attending psychiatry outpatient department (OPD) of a tertiary care hospital. Treatment-related satisfaction was measured using the Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction (SAPS) scale, and variables not related to treatment were assessed using Likert scales.Results:Most participants were satisfied with the overall cleanliness of the hospital (82.9%), the useable condition of toilets (73%), and waiting time in the OPD ticket counter, doctor’s room, and pharmacy. More than 80% were pleased with the OPD staff’s behavior and working efficiency. In the seven dimensions of the SAPS scale, satisfaction level was variable. Overall satisfaction with the care received in the hospital was 60.5%.Conclusions:The level of patient satisfaction is good in psychiatry OPD services of our hospital, and it depends on treatment-independent variables also. So, liaison between the medical- and non-medical-management teams is crucial to augment patient satisfaction.
Background:Patients’ satisfaction with healthcare services contributes to their compliance with the treatment and thus impacts their health. Therefore, patient satisfaction is increasingly being used as an indicator of health system performance in a country. Though several studies have been reported from different parts of India, most did not include psychiatric patients. This study assessed the level of satisfaction of psychiatric outpatients and its association with socio-demographic, hospital-related, and treatment-related variables.Methods:This cross-sectional study assessed 152 patients attending psychiatry outpatient department (OPD) of a tertiary care hospital. Treatment-related satisfaction was measured using the Short Assessment of Patient Satisfaction (SAPS) scale, and variables not related to treatment were assessed using Likert scales.Results:Most participants were satisfied with the overall cleanliness of the hospital (82.9%), the useable condition of toilets (73%), and waiting time in the OPD ticket counter, doctor’s room, and pharmacy. More than 80% were pleased with the OPD staff’s behavior and working efficiency. In the seven dimensions of the SAPS scale, satisfaction level was variable. Overall satisfaction with the care received in the hospital was 60.5%.Conclusions:The level of patient satisfaction is good in psychiatry OPD services of our hospital, and it depends on treatment-independent variables also. So, liaison between the medical- and non-medical-management teams is crucial to augment patient satisfaction.
Use of Children’s Communication Checklist-2 to identify Communication Problems in Kannada Speaking Preschool Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Preliminary Study
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Volume 45, Issue 5, Page 539-541, September 2023.
Attitude Towards the Mentally Ill Among Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) Workers in the Ahmedabad City of Gujarat
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
Background:The community misunderstands mental illness, resulting in stigmatizing attitudes toward persons with mental illness. High mental health literacy (MHL) among Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers can help spread mental health awareness to the community. The study aimed to assess the attitudes of ASHA workers toward the mentally ill.Method:A cross-sectional survey was conducted among ASHA workers in the city of Ahmedabad using the Community Attitude toward Mentally Ill (CAMI) scale – Gujarati version. Census sampling was used to collect data from ASHA workers at various Urban Health Centers (UHC). We analyzed 265 responses.Results:The mean (SD) of authoritarianism (AU), benevolence (BE), social restrictiveness (SR), and community mental health ideology (CMHI) subscales were 29.77(3.35), 35.33(3.78), 34.55(3.49), and 37.15(4.42), respectively (a higher mean suggests a negative attitude in the AU and SR subscales and a positive attitude in the BE and CMHI subscales).Conclusion:Although ASHA workers displayed goodwill and a welcoming attitude on the BE and CMHI subscales, they showed negative and stigmatizing attitudes on certain items of the AU and SR subscales. This necessitates a widespread mental health education campaign and training program for them.
Background:The community misunderstands mental illness, resulting in stigmatizing attitudes toward persons with mental illness. High mental health literacy (MHL) among Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA) workers can help spread mental health awareness to the community. The study aimed to assess the attitudes of ASHA workers toward the mentally ill.Method:A cross-sectional survey was conducted among ASHA workers in the city of Ahmedabad using the Community Attitude toward Mentally Ill (CAMI) scale – Gujarati version. Census sampling was used to collect data from ASHA workers at various Urban Health Centers (UHC). We analyzed 265 responses.Results:The mean (SD) of authoritarianism (AU), benevolence (BE), social restrictiveness (SR), and community mental health ideology (CMHI) subscales were 29.77(3.35), 35.33(3.78), 34.55(3.49), and 37.15(4.42), respectively (a higher mean suggests a negative attitude in the AU and SR subscales and a positive attitude in the BE and CMHI subscales).Conclusion:Although ASHA workers displayed goodwill and a welcoming attitude on the BE and CMHI subscales, they showed negative and stigmatizing attitudes on certain items of the AU and SR subscales. This necessitates a widespread mental health education campaign and training program for them.
The Missing Link Between Opioid Use Disorder and Seizures During Opioid Withdrawal: A Case Series from North India
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
Is There a Need for an Entrustable Professional Activity-Based Psychiatry Curriculum for Medical Interns?
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Volume 45, Issue 5, Page 547-548, September 2023.
Barriers to Vocational Rehabilitation in Adult Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Series from a Tertiary Mental Health Care Institute in India
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.
Prescribing Yoga for Mental Wellness: Need for a Nuanced Approach
Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, Ahead of Print.