Artificial intelligence and Psychiatry: An overview.

The burden of mental illness both in world and India is increasing at an alarming rate. Adding to it, there has been an increase in mental health challenges during covid-19 pandemic with a rise in suicide, loneliness and substance use. Artificial intelligence can act as a potential solution to address this shortage. The use of artificial intelligence is increasingly being employed in various fields of mental health like affective disorders, psychosis, and geriatric psychiatry. The benefits are various like lower costs, wider reach but at the same time it comes with its own disadvantages. This article reviews the current understanding of artificial intelligence, the types of Artificial intelligence, its current use in various mental health disorders, current status in India, advantages, disadvantages and future potentials. With the passage of time and digitalization of the modern age, there will be an increase in the use of artificial intelligence in psychiatry hence a detailed understanding will be thoughtful. For this, we searched PubMed, Google Scholar, and Science Direct, China national Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Globus Index Medicus search engines by using keywords. Initial searches involved the use of each individual keyword while the later searches involved the use of more than one word in different permutation combinations.

Mental health literacy and familiarity with the term schizophrenia in a community health care setting in North India.

INTRODUCTION: Mental health literacy (MHL) is an important mediator of mental health in the community. Recognition of schizophrenia by the presentation of a case vignette is often used to assess MHL. Various studies assessing MHL around the world have shown that the recognition of schizophrenia is low. This study was designed to use the case vignette method to assess the MHL in a sample of respondents in North India. METHODOLOGY: We translated a well-known case vignette of schizophrenia from english into hindi. A cross-sectional study design was followed. This case vignette was presented in the written format to 200 respondents in rural Punjab and Haryana. The case vignette was followed by questions regarding the identification and nature of the problem, what could be done about it and the familiarity of the respondent to the term 'schizophrenia'. The results were analysed through open coding. RESULTS: Around 22% of the responses identified mental illness. The recognition of schizophrenia by name was only in one response. Most people attributed the condition of the protagonist in the case vignette to be due to stressful life situations. The respondents used the terms 'depression' and 'tension' as descriptors of mental illness. The correction of situations leading to stress and counselling by a psychiatrist was considered by most respondents to be useful. The familiarity with schizophrenia was 18%. CONCLUSIONS: MHL in our sample was low. Measures for improving the MHL in the community are needed. There may be a case for easier nomenclature with regards to MHL.

A conundrum of West syndrome, behavioural problems and parental expressed emotions: a case report.

West syndrome (WS) is the most common epileptic syndrome in infancy characterised by epileptic spasms, hypsarrhythmia and neurodevelopmental problems. Epileptic spasms remain in many ways a conundrum, and the ideal intervention, as well as how to screen patients to provide optimal care and certainly its genetic cause, remains puzzling. It is important to screen infants for early recognition and intervention to achieve the optimal outcome. We hereby discuss the approach to management of a boy aged 4½ years old with WS and behavioural problems and of parental expressed emotions.

Olanzapine-induced leucopaenia and thrombocytopaenia in an elderly patient: a case report and review of the evidence.

Haematological adverse effects of antipsychotics are rare but life threatening. Existing literature is limited to case reports, which are mostly reported on second generation antipsychotics (clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone, quetiapine). Elderly individuals are at risk of developing side effects with any psychotropics. Olanzapine is commonly used for the management of psychotic symptoms as well as for the management of behavioural and psychological problems with dementia in the elderly. In this case report, we report thrombocytopaenia and leucopaenia in an elderly individual with schizophrenia which developed after initiation of olanzapine and reverted back after stoppage of the drug. This case report highlights that the elderly are susceptible to develop haematological side effects with olanzapine and hence monitoring may be essential.