Spirituality, Religiosity, and Health: a Comparison of Physicians' Attitudes in Brazil, India, and Indonesia.

BACKGROUND: One of the biggest challenges in the spirituality, religiosity, and health field is to understand how patients and physicians from different cultures deal with spiritual and religious issues in clinical practice. PURPOSE: The present study aims to compare physicians' perspectives on the influence of spirituality and religion (S/R) on health between Brazil, India, and Indonesia. METHOD: This is a cross-sectional, cross-cultural, multi-center study carried out from 2010 to 2012, examining physicians' attitudes from two continents. Participants completed a self-rated questionnaire that collected information on sociodemographic characteristics, S/R involvement, and perspectives concerning religion, spirituality, and health. Differences between physicians' responses in each country were examined using chi-squared, ANOVA, and MANCOVA. RESULTS: A total of 611 physicians (194 from Brazil, 295 from India, and 122 from Indonesia) completed the survey. Indonesian physicians were more religious and more likely to address S/R when caring for patients. Brazilian physicians were more likely to believe that S/R influenced patients' health. Brazilian and Indonesians were as likely as to believe that it is appropriate to talk and discuss S/R with patients, and more likely than Indians. No differences were found concerning attitudes toward spiritual issues. CONCLUSION: Physicians from these different three countries had very different attitudes on spirituality, religiosity, and health. Ethnicity and culture can have an important influence on how spirituality is approached in medical practice. S/R curricula that train physicians how to address spirituality in clinical practice must take these differences into account.

Acceptability and feasibility of assisted telepsychiatry in routine healthcare settings in India: a qualitative study.

Technology-enabled interventions are often recommended to overcome geographical barriers to access and inequitable distribution of mental healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to examine the acceptability and feasibility of an assisted telepsychiatry model implemented in primary care settings in India. In-depth interviews were conducted with patients who received telepsychiatry consultations. Data were collected about domains such as experience with communicating with psychiatrists over a video call and feasibility of accessing services. Data were analysed using a thematic analysis approach. Patients recognized that technology enabled them to access treatment and appreciated its contribution to the improvement in their mental health condition. They reported that the telepsychiatry experience was comparable to face-to-face consultations. They had a positive experience of facilitation by counsellors and found treatment delivery in primary care non-stigmatizing. While some adapted easily to the technology platform because of increased access to technology in their daily lives, others struggled to communicate over a screen. For some, availability of care closer to their homes was convenient; for others, even the little travel involved posed a financial burden. In some cases, the internet connectivity was poor and interfered with the video calls. Patients believed that scale could be achieved through adoption of this model by the public sector, collaboration with civil society, enhanced demand generation strategies and leveraging platforms beyond health systems. Assisted telepsychiatry integrated in routine healthcare settings has the potential to make scarce specialist mental health services accessible in low resource settings by overcoming geographical and logistical barriers.

Early Clinical Development of Lufotrelvir as a Potential Therapy for COVID-19.

Lufotrelvir was designed as a first in class 3CL protease inhibitor to treat COVID-19. Development of lufotrelvir was challenged by its relatively poor stability due to its propensity to epimerize and degrade. Key elements of process development included improvement of the supply routes to the indole and lactam fragments, a Claisen addition to homologate the lactam, and a subsequent phosphorylation reaction to prepare the prodrug as well as identification of a DMSO solvated form of lufotrelvir to enable long-term storage. As a new approach to preparing the indole fragment, a Cu-catalyzed C-O coupling using oxalamide ligands was demonstrated. The control of process-related impurities was essential to accommodate the parenteral formulation. Isolation of an MEK solvate followed by the DMSO solvate ensured that all impurities were controlled appropriately.

Integrating assisted tele-psychiatry into primary healthcare in Goa, India: a feasibility study.

Background: Tele-psychiatry is an increasingly acceptable and feasible platform to deliver mental health care with the potential to increase access to care in low-resource settings. We aim to examine the acceptability and preliminary impact of the delivery of assisted tele-psychiatry services in primary healthcare settings in Goa, India. Methods: Before-after uncontrolled treatment cohort study. In total, 161 adults with either a mental or alcohol use disorder were provided tele-consultation by psychiatrists through a customised video conferencing platform, along with medication or counselling (via trained lay counsellors) or both as needed. Data on socio-demographics, clinical outcomes and process indicators were collected at baseline and 3 months post-baseline. Paired t tests were used to assess clinical outcomes pre- and post-treatment using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) and World Health Organisation Disability Adjustment Schedule (WHODAS) 2.0, and logistic regression was used to find associations between changes in these scores and various factors. Results: The most common diagnosis was depression (35%). Post-treatment, there was a significant reduction in both GHQ-12 and WHODAS 2.0 scores. Participants showed high satisfaction with the tele-psychiatry services and technology platform. Improvement in GHQ-12 score was associated with being employed [OR 8.74 (1.92-39.75, p = 0.005)] and being a homemaker [OR 6.42 (CI 1.61-25.57, p = 0.008)]. Conclusion: Treatment of mental disorders through a tele-psychiatry platform appears to be highly acceptable and is associated with improved clinical outcomes. Considering its potential for scalability, a model of assisted tele-psychiatry integrated into primary care can be an important strategy to increase access to mental healthcare in low-resource settings.

Domiciliary alcohol detoxification outcomes: a study from Goa, India.

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a significant public health problem across all regions of the world. Overall evidence regarding outcomes is available from western regions. Detoxification is one of the first steps in treating AUDs. The following case note review looks at community detoxification outcomes in a naturalistic setting. We looked at 100 clients with domiciliary detoxification. We found only 35% had a favorable outcome (follow up as advised) while 65% had unfavorable outcomes (lost to follow up or required admission). Trends of higher alcohol use (units/day) were seen in the unfavorable group. We also found that having a medical co-morbidity was associated with unfavorable outcome. In resource poor setting like our country there is a need to look at ways to enhance home detoxification programs; use of technology and supervised monitoring could probably improve the outcomes.

Auditing the AUDIT: A systematic review of cut-off scores for the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) in low- and middle-income countries.

INTRODUCTION: The World Health Organization's (WHO) Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is used extensively across the world, with cut-off scores recommended by the WHO. We reviewed the use and validity of AUDIT cut-off scores in low- and middle-income countries as cultural contexts are expected to influence the detection of alcohol use disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The systematic review was guided by an a priori defined protocol consistent with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement. We searched Cochrane library, Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Indmed, LILACS, and AJOL databases using appropriate search terms. We conducted a narrative synthesis of the data. RESULTS: We identified 54 distinct studies that used AUDIT cut-off scores which were not in alignment with those recommended by the WHO. India (n = 10), Nigeria (n = 9), and Brazil (n = 9) produced most of these included studies. Most of the studies (n = 42) did not conduct psychometric evaluations of AUDIT cut-off scores. Of the twelve studies which did report psychometric results, a wide range of cut-off scores performed well. In these studies the cut-off scores to detect hazardous drinking ranged from >3 to >5, for harmful drinking from >5 to >16, and for dependent drinking from >7 to >24. DISCUSSION: AUDIT is being widely used in LMICs and non-recommended cut-off scores are considered to be appropriate in these countries. It is important to systematically evaluate the psychometric properties of those cut-off scores to ensure the internal validity of the studies in which they are used.

Coping strategies and support structures of addiction affected families: A qualitative study from Goa, India.

INTRODUCTION: Despite the large burden of a relative's drinking on their family members, the latter's perspectives and experiences are largely neglected. The aims of this article are to assess the coping strategies used by affected family members (AFMs) in Goa, India, and to examine the nature of the support they have for dealing with their drinking relative. METHOD: In-depth interviews were conducted with adult AFMs selected through purposive and maximum variation sampling. Data was analyzed using thematic analyses. RESULTS: The commonly used coping strategies included accommodating to the relative's behavior, financially adapting to their means, self-harm, attempting to reason with the drinking relative, covert intervening, and avoiding fights and arguments. There was a general reluctance to seek support, and the type and quality of support that was available was also limited. Support from neighbors or relatives was primarily through providing a "listening ear" or financial support. Religious and spiritual pursuits were commonly used to seek solace, and to manage negative thoughts and feelings. Formal support was sought for themselves or the relative through existing health services and Al-Anon, and occasionally from the police. DISCUSSION: AFMs experience a considerable amount of strain in relation to their relative's drinking, and have to rely on different ways of coping and social support, as is available to them. Although there is a universality to the experiences of families affected by addictions, this must be interpreted with caution, as it is also accompanied by variations in cultural factors related to these experiences. (PsycINFO Database Record

Psychosocial interventions for addiction-affected families in Low and Middle Income Countries: A systematic review.

AIM: To review the literature on psychosocial interventions for addiction affected family members in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMIC). METHODS: A systematic review with a detailed search strategy focussing on psychosocial interventions directed towards people affected by addiction without any gender, year or language specifications was conducted. Identified titles and abstracts were screened; where needed full papers retrieved, and then independently reviewed. Data was extracted based on the aims of the study, to describe the modalities, acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of the interventions. RESULTS: Four papers met our selection criteria. They were published between 2003 and 2014; the total sample size was 137 participants, and two studies were from Mexico and one each from Vietnam and Malaysia. The predominantly female participants comprised of parents, spouses and siblings. The common components of all the interventions included providing information regarding addiction, teaching coping skills, and providing support. Though preliminary these small studies suggests a positive effect on affected family members (AFM). There was lowering of psychological and physical distress, along with a better understanding of addictive behaviour. The interventions led to better coping; with improvements in self-esteem and assertive behaviour. The interventions, mostly delivered in group settings, were largely acceptable. CONCLUSIONS: The limited evidence does suggest positive benefits to AFMs. The scope of research needs to be extended to other addictions, and family members other than spouse and female relatives. Indigenous and locally adapted interventions are needed to address this issue keeping in mind the limited resources of LMIC. This is a field indeed in its infancy and this under recognised and under-served group needs urgent attention of researchers and policy makers.

Suicide in India: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Suicide is an important cause of death in India but estimated suicide rates based on data from India's National Crime Records Bureau are unreliable. AIM: Systematically review existing literature on suicide and the factors associated with suicide in India. METHODS: PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, Global Health, Google Scholar and IndMED were searched using appropriate search terms. The abstracts of relevant papers were independently examined by both authors for possible inclusion. A standardized set of data items were abstracted from the full text of the selected papers. RESULTS: Thirty-six papers met inclusion criteria for the analysis. The heterogeneity of sampling procedures and methods of the studies made meta-analysis of the results infeasible. Verbal autopsy studies in several rural locations in India report high suicide rates, from 82 to 95 per 100,000 population - up to 8-fold higher than the official national suicide rates. Suicide rates are highest in persons 20 to 29 years of age. Female suicide rates are higher than male rates in persons under 30 years of age but the opposite is true in those 30 years of age or older. Hanging and ingestion of organophosphate pesticides are the most common methods of suicide. Among women, self-immolation is also a relatively common method of suicide. Low socioeconomic status, mental illness (especially alcohol misuse) and inter-personal difficulties are the factors that are most closely associated with suicide. CONCLUSION: The quality of the information about suicide in India is quite limited, but it is clearly an important and growing public health problem. Compared to suicides in high-income countries, suicide in India is more prevalent in women (particularly young women), is much more likely to involve ingestion of pesticides, is more closely associated with poverty, and is less closely associated with mental illness.

Judicial involuntary admission under the Mental Health Act in Goa, India: profile, outcome and implications.

Reception order (RO) by a magistrate is a mode of involuntary admission provided under the Indian Mental Health Act of 1987. To the best of our knowledge there has been no evaluation of this provision in clinical practice. The present paper is a descriptive study through retrospective case-note review of patients admitted by way of RO to a tertiary care hospital in Goa. Compared with those admitted voluntarily, those admitted by RO tended to be single, middle aged (40-60 years old) and non-Goan; on average they had a significantly longer hospital stay than voluntarily admitted patients. Non-affective psychosis and substance use disorders were the more common diagnoses. While admissions by RO serve a useful role in bringing patients who are not under proper care into the mental healthcare system, they do not address the issue of aftercare.

The impact and patterns of hazardous drinking amongst male industrial workers in Goa, India.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to describe the impact and patterns of drinking in hazardous drinkers in a male industrial worker population in India. METHOD: A case-control design was used, and 234 subjects (75 hazardous drinkers, 78 casual drinkers and 81 abstinent workers) were randomly selected from a population of male workers who had participated in a survey of drinking behaviour. The definition of these categories was based on the scores of subjects on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Subjects were interviewed with a semi-structured social and health impact questionnaire, Revised Clinical Interview Schedule (CISR) and Brief Disability Questionnaire (BDQ). A total of 184 spouses of consenting workers were also interviewed with a semi-structured interview, the CISR,BDQ and AUDIT. A sub-group of 55 hazardous drinkers participated in a descriptive study of patterns of drinking, recording drinking behaviour using a daily drink diary over a 1-month period. FINDINGS: Hazardous drinkers have significantly poorer physical and mental health and show trends for adverse social outcomes such as violence. Casual drinkers, on the other hand, were no different from abstinent subjects on any of the key outcomes. As compared to casual drinkers, hazardous drinkers tend to drink alone, in bars, and prefer non-commercial alcoholic beverages which are cheaper and have high alcohol concentration. CONCLUSIONS: Hazardous drinking has a significant adverse impact on drinkers and their families. Hazardous drinkers display unique drinking patterns suggesting the role of stigma and preference for higher alcohol-containing, but cheaper, drinks available in India.