Estimation and linkage between behavioral problems and social emotional competence among Pakistani young school children.

Behavioral problems are commonly occurring concerns in school children and if left unidentified can result in worse outcomes in any society. The research aims to explore the prevalence of behavioral problems and its association with social emotional competence in young school children from a community sample of Islamabad, Pakistan. The cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2021 in four public primary schools in Islamabad, Pakistan. Two stage cluster sampling was used to select study sites. The sample comprised 426 school children (males = 182, females = 195) aged 4-8 years (Mean age = 6.5, SD = 1.09), from three different grades kindergarten, 1, and 2, respectively. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Social Emotional Development Assessment (SEDA) were used to screen behavioral problems and social emotional competences of children. Data were analyzed using Stata 17. Prevalence for overall behavioral problems accounted for 65.4% (4-6 years) and 36.2% (6-8 years) in the abnormal (borderline and clinical) ranges of total problems. Social emotional competence scores were found significantly negatively associated with behavioral problems of children. The high prevalence necessitates the provision of mental health care to school-aged children. The findings should be taken as a call to Pakistan's policymakers, clinicians, and researchers to develop proper screening and management protocols for early intervention.

Vaccine hesitancy and post-vaccination adherence to safety measures: A mixed-method study.

Background: Despite being recognized as one of the most successful public health measures, vaccination is still considered to be unnecessary and unreliable in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The current study utilized a two-pronged approach in analyzing vaccine hesitancy and health behaviors after vaccination by employing a mixed-method design. Phase 1 was aimed at identifying predictors of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and acceptance among the Pakistani population using protection motivation theory (PMT), whereas Phase 2 was aimed at exploring the factors related to the vaccination of COVID-19. Method: A convenient sample of 1,736 individuals from the vaccine-eligible population (12 years and above) was selected to collect data on vaccine hesitancy and acceptance (Phase 1). Phase 2 of the study explored post-vaccination health behaviors, especially adherence to safety measures for COVID-19, through 23 in-depth interviews with the vaccinated population. Results: Multiple regression analyses showed that response cost is a major predictor of vaccine hesitancy (in Phase 1). In terms of the role of demographic variables, the results showed that being male (for severity: B = -0.481; threat appraisal: B = -0.737), old age (B = -0.044), not vaccinated, and not infected with COVID-19 (themselves and family members) are strongly associated with vaccination hesitancy. Results of thematic analysis in Phase 2 revealed that perceived individual experience and insensitivity toward the severity of the disease are strongly associated with a lack of adherence to safety measures of COVID-19. Faith and religious beliefs and reliance on traditional remedies are also key predictors of people's general non-compliance to health behaviors. One interesting aspect that was revealed in the analysis was the general financially and socially destabilized situation in the context of developing countries that contributed to general apathy in the pandemic situation. Conclusion: The findings of the current study may help in devising a health model for the public from the developing world to deal with future pandemic situations.

Mediating Role of Psychological Maladjustment in Relation Between Dark Triad, Psychological Distress and Subjective Happiness of Pakistani Emerging Adults.

The transition from adolescence to adulthood is fraught with challenges that might have impacts on later life and personality development. Earlier research investigated Dark Triad traits in connection to emotional problems. The current study, on the other hand, focused on investigating the mediating role of psychological maladjustment in the relation of Dark Triad traits, psychological distress, and subjective happiness in emerging adults. A sample of 546 participants aged 18-25 years (M = 21.2 years) from Pakistan have participated to complete an online survey. Standardized assessment tools were used to measure the targeted variables. Results indicated that Machiavellianism and psychopathy were positively associated with psychological distress, whereas narcissism appeared to be a non-significant predictor. Subjective happiness was positively associated with Machiavellianism and negatively associated with psychopathy. In addition, mediation analysis through Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) indicated that the Dark Triad traits (Machiavellianism and psychopathology), psychological distress, and subjective wellbeing were explained by psychological maladjustment. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Premenstrual symptoms as predictor of quality of life in reproductive-aged women of Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir: A cross sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the predictive role of premenstrual symptoms in reproductive-aged women's quality of life. METHODS: The cross-sectional study was conducted in Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, from September 2017 to January 2018, and comprised married women aged 20-45 years. Urdu versions of Greene Climacteric Symptoms Scale and World Health Organisation Quality of Life scale were used. Data was analysed using SPSS 23. RESULTS: Of the 300 women with a mean age of 32.59±7.12 years, 245(81.7%) had a regular menstrual cycle. There was significant negative relationship between premenstrual symptoms and all domains of quality of life (p<0.05). Somatic symptoms were predominantly affecting the quality of life in more negative manners compared to other symptoms (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Premenstrual symptoms disturb the daily activities of reproductive-aged women and adversely affect their educational, occupational and psychosocial functioning.

Preliminary Effectiveness Study of Coping Power Program for Aggressive Children in Pakistan.

Aggression is a characteristic feature of many psychiatric disorders. To address the scarceness for evidence-based interventions for behavioral problems in Pakistan, we evaluated the effectiveness of culturally adapted version of Coping Power Program. The purpose of the study was to determine the extent to which Coping Power Program is capable of reducing aggressive behavior and improving competent behavior, when delivered in a different culture, i.e., Pakistan. With randomized control trial (RCT) of pre- and post-testing, 112 fourth grade boys were allocated to Coping Power intervention condition and waitlist control condition. The intervention group showed significant reduction in aggression at post assessment, in comparison to control group. Boys who received Coping Power intervention also showed improvements in behavior, social skills, and social cognitive processes, with better anger control and problem solving strategies, in comparison to the control group. The results of the study provide preliminary evidence, supporting the effectiveness of Coping Power Program for Pakistani children. Despite its limitations, the results of this study are promising and suggest that Coping Power is an effective intervention to reduce behavioral problems and promote healthy and positive behaviors in children, even when implemented in different contexts with greater potential for violence exposure.