Quality of patient-oriented online information on treatment of dementia: A comparative assessment of web pages in English and Hindi language.

Background: Management of dementia involves a multidisciplinary approach which also requires active participation from family members and caregivers. Thus, having easy access to information about dementia care is pertinent. Internet-based information is an emerging method for the same. Aim: To perform a comparative assessment of patient-oriented online information available on treatment of dementia over web pages in English and Hindi language. Methods: Observational study was conducted online through a general internet search engine (www.google.com). Web pages containing patient-oriented online information on treatment of dementia in English and Hindi were reviewed to assess their content and quality, esthetics, and interactivity. Appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Results: A total of 70 web pages met the eligibility criteria. Content quality assessed using the DISCERN score was significantly higher for English web pages compared to Hindi web pages (P < 0.01). About 72.4% (21/29) of English and only 9.8% (4/41) of Hindi web pages had a total DISCERN score of 40 or above, indicating good quality. For esthetics, the median score for English pages was significantly higher than for Hindi web pages (P < 0.01). The web pages with Health On Net (HON) certification had significantly better content quality. Conclusion: Our study revealed a scarcity of good quality online information about dementia and its treatment, especially in the Hindi language. English language websites showed better content quality than Hindi websites. HON Code label might be used as an indicator of better content quality for online resources informing on dementia treatment by lay people.

The prevalence of depression in people following limb amputation: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of depression in people with limb amputation. Additionally, factors affecting the prevalence or pattern of depression following limb amputation were explored. METHODS: Systematic literature search to identify all relevant studies assessing prevalence of depression following limb amputations was conducted through following databases: PubMed/ MEDLINE, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science. Search period was since inception of database till December 2021. Meta-analyses using random-effects model were conducted to estimate pooled prevalence of depression. RESULTS: A total of 61 studies comprising 9852 limb amputees were included. Pooled prevalence of depression following limb amputations was 33.85% (95% CI: 27.15% to 40.54%), with significant heterogeneity (I2 = 98.57%; p < 0.001). Sub-group meta-analysis showed that pooled prevalence of depression was significantly higher in studies conducted from middle-income (45.31%, 95% CI: 28.92% to 61.70%) as compared high income countries (28.31%, 95% CI: 23.97% to 32.64%). Greater activity restriction, amputation-related body image disturbances, social discomfort, perceived vulnerability regarding disability, and avoidant coping style were commonly reported factors associated with greater depression symptomatology. Whereas, good perceived social support, and use of more active coping strategies were commonly reported protective factors. CONCLUSION: About one-third of all limb amputees suffered from clinically significant depression. This emphasizes need to sensitize health care professionals involved in providing care to people following limb amputation regarding the importance of periodically screening this vulnerable group of patients for depression and liaising with psychiatrists. Further, addressing risk factors identified in this review could help in reducing the rates of depression post-amputation.

Impact of global public health days on online health-information-seeking behavior related to substance use: An analysis of five-year data.

The United Nations Organizations observe various global public health days (GPHDs) (also known as world days) throughout the year. We aimed to assess the impact of GPSDs on online health information-seeking behavior related to substance use in the Indian context. We used the Google Trends data for this study using standard guidelines. We conducted a topic search for the query "Substance abuse" to capture online information-seeking behavior (OHISB) for substance use disorder-related searches. The data were analyzed using the Joinpoint Regression software. Joinpoint regression model analysis was conducted to determine the statistically significant daily percent change (DPC) in the RSV trend. We found that there were significant changes in OHISB for substance use-related disorders on the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking over the last five years. The increase in the pattern of online search for substance use-related information was not observed around the World No Tobacco Day, World Mental Health Day, and World Suicide Prevention Day. Since most of these world health days are likely to continue to be observed in the coming years, it is important to regularly assess their impact as well as make the necessary modifications to make them more effective in achieving the desired objectives.

Body image perception, eating disorder behavior, self-esteem and quality of life: a cross-sectional study among female medical students.

BACKGROUND: Eating disorders are strongly associated with body image concerns. Eating disorders tend to significantly impact the current and future health and quality of life of affected persons, their caregivers, and society. As body image is based on a social construct of ideal body image, it is essential to evaluate it in its cultural context. METHODS: The current study explored the relationship among body image perception, perceived stress, eating disorder behaviour and quality of life among female medical students (n = 777). Measurements included Body Shape Questionnaire, Body Image Quality of Life Inventory, Eating Attitudes Test-26 and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Multivariate analysis was conducted. RESULTS: There was a significant correlation between eating disorder behaviour and perceived body shape, body image, quality of life and self-esteem among our study participants. We also found eating disorder status was significantly associated with BMI, perceived body shape, quality of life and self-esteem. CONCLUSIONS: This is of clinical implication to female medical students and healthcare professionals to engage early in primary and secondary prevention of eating pathologies. Increasing awareness of these facts among female students can help identify at-risk students and help them seek timely medical help.

Eating disorders significantly impact the current and future health and quality of life of affected persons, their caregivers, and society. Young people are persistently flooded with social media conceptualizations of what beauty should look like. The current study explored the relationship between how we perceive our body, perceived stress, maladaptive eating behaviours and quality of life among female medical students (n=777). Measurements included those measuring perceived body shape and body image, quality of life, eating attitudes, and self-esteem. We found that a preoccupation with weight and food, crash diets, fasting, binge eating, and purging behaviours was related to how we perceived our body shape, our quality of life and self-esteem among the study participants. This is important for female medical students and healthcare professionals because it enables them to identify students at risk of eating disorders and assist them in obtaining timely medical help, thus promoting early prevention.

Effects of Abstinence From Opioid on Neuropsychological Performance in Men With Opioid Use Disorder: A Longitudinal Study.

OBJECTIVES: Impairments in neuropsychological functioning (mainly memory, learning, attention, and executive functioning) among persons with long-term opioid use disorder (OUD) have been widely reported, with few studies suggesting that these are not permanent and can improve with abstinence. Thus, present study aimed to evaluate the neuropsychological functioning in persons with OUD and examine the effects of abstinence on the same over a period 8 weeks. METHODS: A total of 50 patients with diagnosis of OUD as per the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders , Fifth Edition ( DSM-5 ) criteria underwent serial longitudinal neuropsychological assessments for executive functioning, attention and concentration, and verbal and nonverbal memory at baseline, 2 weeks, and 8 weeks of abstinence. RESULTS: The mean performance scores representative of attention, concentration, verbal memory, and nonverbal memory showed significant improvement in the initial 2 weeks, and executive functioning showed significant improvement by 8 weeks of abstinence (all P 's < 0.01). A significant negative correlation was found between the duration of opioid use and performance on verbal memory tests (0.014), the frequency of intake per day and performance on nonverbal memory and executive functioning tests, and the severity of opioid dependence and performance on nonverbal memory test (0.019). CONCLUSIONS: Neuropsychological functioning in certain domains was associated with the duration of opioid use, the frequency of daily opioid intake, and the severity of opioid dependence among persons with OUD at baseline. It showed significant improvement in domains of attention, concentration, verbal and nonverbal memory, and executive functions over a period of 8 weeks of abstinence.

Comparative assessment of the information available on the treatment of depression over websites in English and Hindi language.

Background: The study aimed to perform a cross-sectional comparative assessment of the content and quality of information available on the treatment of depression over websites in English and Hindi language. Materials and Methods: We screened the first 50 links obtained on searching for depression treatment on Google, and selected 72 (44 in English; 28 in Hindi) websites. They were evaluated for coverage of different aspects of depression, quality of treatments mentioned, esthetics, and interactivity. Results: A significantly lesser number of Hindi websites discussed the minimum duration of treatment needed for a depressive episode (36% vs. 79%), possible side effects of treatment (18% vs. 77%), discussed suicidality in depression explicitly (25% vs. 57%), or recommended consultation with a mental health professional (11% vs. 43%). English websites more commonly mentioned psychotherapy (86% vs. 64%), electroconvulsive therapy (64% vs. 21%), and social support measures (59% vs. 32%) for depression treatment. Whereas, Hindi websites more commonly mentioned Ayurvedic/herbal medicines (46% vs. 16%), and yoga (29% vs. 4%) for treatment. Lastly, the esthetics score for English websites was significantly higher than for Hindi websites. A significantly greater number of Hindi websites were owned by commercial entities. Conclusion: This is the first study to systematically compare online information on depression treatment in English and Hindi language websites, and identify areas for further improvement in the overall quality of online information in Hindi. There is a need for the creation of credible and accessible online resources in regional languages like Hindi for the promotion of depression literacy among the general public by government and non-profit professional organizations.

Assessment of App Store Description and Privacy Policy to Explore Ethical and Safety Concerns Associated with the Use of Mental Health Apps for Depression.

Background: Mental Health apps (MH apps) could help address the huge unmet mental health care need of developing countries. This study aimed to explore potential ethical, data safety, and privacy issues associated with using MH apps for depression. Methods: A cross-sectional assessment of the top 50 MH apps (by Google Play store search result ordering) for depression available in India was conducted in November 2021. Results: Most apps were listed under the category of health and fitness (54%). The median number of total and dangerous permissions requested at the time of download was nine and three, respectively. Privacy policy in English was available for 76%. The average length of the privacy policy was 2171 words, and the mean Flesch-Kincaid reading grade level was 12 (much higher than the recommended cut-off of eight). Important features relevant to safeguarding consumer confidentiality, including names of third parties with which user data could be shared (42%), explicit consent before sharing data with third parties (16%), and assurance regarding the collection of de-identifiable data (11%), were missing from the majority of privacy policies. Conclusion: There is an urgent need to improve the accessibility and usability of privacy policies by app developers, with the active involvement of other stakeholders.

Endoxifen Approval for Bipolar Disorder in India: A Premature or a Pragmatic Decision?

ABSTRACT: In this commentary, we critique the Indian government's decision to approve endoxifen for the treatment of acute mania among adults.

Can Quantitative Electroencephalography and Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy be a Good Guide in Kleine-Levin Syndrome?

There is scarce literature on functional neuroimaging data in Kleine-Levin syndrome. The current case report presents the electrical and metabolic status of cortical activity utilizing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and quantitative electroencephalography (qEEG) before and after treatment of symptomatic phase of illness with modafinil.

Quality of online news media reports of child sexual abuse in India.

Background: Media plays an important role in creating awareness and shaping public opinion about child sexual abuse (CSA). Research suggests that sensible media reportage on CSA is important for positive impacts of media. However, most of the studies assessing the quality of CSA news reports are from western countries. Aim: To systematically assess the pattern of online news media reportage of CSA in India. Methodology: A total of 149 news reports on the topic of CSA in India, published online over a one-year period were analyzed. Framing of CSA and other news media characteristics were evaluated. Results: Framing of CSA was episodic in majority of news reports, with criminal-justice system-related details about individual cases mentioned in about 90% reports. Further, more than two-third news reports did not mention possible causes or reasons of CSA, and possible steps that people could take to prevent CSA. About one-fifth of news reports provided statistics, research findings, or correct information to dispel myths or wrong public stereotypes about CSA. Inclusion of child helpline or contact information of any child welfare/support services was missing in most of the news reports. Conclusion: This is the first study to systematically assess the quality of news media reports on CSA in India. It provides valuable baseline information about existing media practices and helps in identifying areas for further improvement of media reporting on CSA. There is a need to conduct regular workshops with media professionals to provide them adequate training and support for improving media reporting of CSA.

Quality of Media Reporting of Suicide in Nepal.

Objectives: Suicide is a major public health concern. Sensible media reporting of suicide is one of the important prevention strategies. There has been no report assessing the quality of media reporting of suicide in Nepal. We aimed to assess the quality of newspaper reporting of suicide in Nepal against the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting guidelines. Methods: We undertook a content analysis study of articles from the online archives on reporting of suicide deaths in six English language (daily or weekly) newspapers published in Nepal over the two-year duration from a period between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020. Also, we compared them with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Results: A total of 165 English newspaper articles reporting on suicide were analyzed. 163 (98.8%) of news were published in the main section of the newspaper, and the mean length was 17.6 sentences. The name and age of the person who died of suicide were mentioned in about 69.1% (n = 114) and 53.3% (n = 88) articles, respectively. The most common method of suicide reported in the news articles was hanging (45.5%, n = 75), followed by poisoning (11.5%, n = 19). About 97.6% (n = 161) of news articles violated the recommendation provided in the WHO guidelines. Conclusions: The adherence to the WHO guidelines for media reporting of suicide in Nepal was found to be poor, with a large majority of news reports having at least one potentially harmful media characteristic. Only a small minority of news reports included potentially helpful information to prevent suicide.

Quality of web-based information on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The limited literature available on quality of online health information about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), reported mixed findings and was more than five years old. This study aimed to assess the content quality, readability, aesthetics, and interactivity of current web-based information on ADHD. METHODS: We screened first 50 links obtained on searching for ADHD using two popular search engines (Google and Bing), out of which 44 websites were selected for quality assessment. They were analysed using pre-decided study Performa, which included previously validated DISCERN instrument for content quality. Flesch-Kincaid grade level score and Flesch-Kincaid readability index were calculated for assessing readability. RESULTS: About 61.4% of websites had DISCERN score ≥40, suggestive of good content quality. However, only 38.6% and 13.6% of websites were written at recommended reading level of eighth and sixth grade respectively. The DISCERN score had significant positive correlation with aesthetics and interactivity scores. Websites with the Health On Net (HON) label had better content quality. No significant difference in the readability, aesthetics, and interactivity of websites with and without the HON label. CONCLUSION: This study underscores the need for improving readability of web-based information on ADHD, and highlight important areas for improving the overall quality of websites. The use of HONCode label might guide general public in gauging the content quality of online health information, but not its readability or presentation.

Assessment of psychological distress pattern & its correlates among people receiving COVID-19 vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study.

Background & objectives: There is a possibility that vaccinated people may experience lesser psychological distress due to the sense of safety felt by them against getting the COVID-19 infection as compared to those who are not vaccinated. However, there is a paucity of research examining the mental health status of this important sub-group of population. Thus, the present study was aimed to examine the pattern of psychological distress and its correlates among people receiving COVID-19 vaccine. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed individuals receiving COVID-19 vaccine at a tertiary care hospital. Psychological distress and COVID-19-related anxiety were assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale-7, respectively. Results: The study comprised 728 individuals with a mean age of 44.8 yr. Moderate levels of depression, anxiety and stress were reported by about 50, six and 15 per cent of the participants, respectively, as assessed on DASS-21. Generalized linear model and quantile regression analyses revealed COVID-19-related anxiety, and being a healthcare worker or front-line worker as significant correlates of psychological distress. Interpretation & conclusions: About half of the study participants receiving COVID-19 vaccine reported moderate to severe symptoms of depression. Strategies focusing on alleviation of COVID-19-related fear and anxiety might be effective in improving the symptoms of psychological distress.