Adaptation and validation of the Body Image Life Disengagement Questionnaire (BILD-Q) for use in english among adolescents in urban India.

Body image concerns are a global issue among adolescents, including in India. These concerns can prevent adolescents from engaging in everyday life activities, impeding social and academic development. However, at present, there are no psychometrically valid measures to assess such impact in the Indian context. This study culturally adapted and validated the Body Image Life Disengagement Questionnaire (BILD-Q) for use in English among adolescents in urban India. A total of 1427 adolescents completed an adapted version of the BILD-Q along with additional measures pertaining to body image. Exploratory factor analysis identified one dimension of body image life disengagement, which provided the best fit. The 9-item one-factor model was further supported by confirmatory factor analysis. The scale demonstrated good internal consistency and test re-test reliability. Further analysis demonstrated that the scale can be used to compare scores between boys and girls without measurement bias. This study presents a culturally adapted version of the BILD-Q, which can be used as a valid and reliable measure to assess the impact of body image concerns on life disengagement among English-speaking adolescents in urban India.

Adaptation and Validation of the Child Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (ChEDE-Q) for Use in English among Adolescents in Urban India.

Eating pathology is increasingly common among Indian adolescents. However, brief validated measures of disordered eating in Indian contexts are scarce. This study adapted and validated a culturally appropriate English language version of the Child Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (ChEDE-Q) among 385 adolescents (mean age = 13.42 years; 47.3% girls) in urban India. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a two-factor eight-item solution had an acceptable fit to the data across gender: an 'Eating Concerns and Restraint' subscale and a 'Weight and Shape Concerns' subscale. Further, the questionnaire can be utilised as both a unidimensional and multidimensional tool. This allows for the computation of a total score on the primary factor of 'Child Eating Pathology', as well as the two subscales. Internal consistency of the 'Weight and Shape Concerns' subscale (α = 0.825) and 'Eating Concerns and Restraint' subscale (α = 0.649) was satisfactory. Concurrent validity was established through medium significant correlations with measures of body image and broader mental health. The results support the use of the ChEDE-Q for assessing disordered eating among urban Indian adolescents, thus providing the research community and practitioners with a measure to investigate the nature and scale of disordered eating among adolescents in India.

Weaving Together the Ancient and the Contemporary: Intersections of the Bhagavad Gita with Modern Psychology.

The Bhagavad Gita is a well-known and deeply respected ancient text from the Indian subcontinent. It is widely regarded as a storehouse of spiritual knowledge. This article explores the different ways in which psychologists have approached the study of the Gita and the extent to which it has been acknowledged as providing concepts that can contribute to the creation of mental well-being in modern times. It is important to understand the status accorded to the Gita within psychology and the contributions it can make to the growth of the psychological sciences. Psychology as we know it today developed largely within the academic institutions of Europe and North America and began its steep rise to recognition and fame largely in the first half of the 20th century. Western 'scientific' theories, concepts, and writings were carried to and widely disseminated in countries with diverse cultures. In this process indigenous, cultural and philosophical forms of knowledge that could have been incorporated into the evolving discipline were largely ignored or marginalized. The time has come to begin an exploration of such resources to assess how they can contribute to enhancing psychology's acceptance in different parts of the world. Given psychology's wide base of applications, it would be beneficial to explore its links with the message of the Bhagavad Gita. This study presents an analysis of 24 articles on the Bhagavad Gita that are of psychological significance and have been published in the last 10 years (2012-2022). Three themes addressing the ways in which this text has been approached by contemporary psychologists were elicited: (1) comparisons with modern psychotherapy, (2) preludes to modern psychological concepts and (3) potential for building well-being and resilience. In addition to this analysis, the article explores a powerful message contained in the Gita around seeking support for mental health issues, a message that has not been widely recognized to date.

Evaluating a body image school-based intervention in India: A randomized controlled trial.

Body dissatisfaction is highly prevalent among adolescents in low- and middle- income countries, including in India. However, evidence-based interventions are lacking. This study evaluated the efficacy of a school-based mixed-gender body image intervention among adolescents in India. A randomized controlled trial was conducted among 568 (43 % girls) Year 7 students (aged 11-14; 94 % aged 12-13) in six schools in Delhi. Each school was randomly allocated to receive five 45-minute intervention sessions delivered by trained psychologists or a wait-list control condition. The primary outcome of body image and related secondary outcomes were assessed at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up. Intention-to-treat linear mixed models analyses showed improvements in body image relative to the control group at post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. Significant improvements were identified at post-intervention for internalization, life disengagement, disordered eating, self-esteem, and negative affect, with effects maintained in nearly all outcomes (girls only - internalization, boys only - life disengagement) at 3-month follow-up. This study presents the first mixed-gender school-based body image intervention in India, which was efficacious in improving urban adolescents' body image, disordered eating, and related outcomes.

Acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a school-based body image intervention in urban India: A pilot randomised controlled trial.

This pilot study evaluated the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a culturally adapted school-based body image intervention, Dove Confident Me, for use in urban India. Two private schools in New Delhi were randomly assigned at the school level to receive either the five-session intervention facilitated by trained psychologists or lessons-as-usual (control). Participants were Year 7 students (N = 166; Mage = 11.9 years). Students, facilitators, and observing teachers, provided acceptability feedback. Fidelity was assessed. Body image and related measures were completed by students in a classroom setting at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and two-month follow-up. Most students enjoyed (73.7 %) and understood (84.2 %) the intervention. Facilitators (90 %) and observing teachers (70 %) reported that the learning objectives were achieved. Adherence and facilitator competence were rated as very good. Body esteem improved significantly among intervention students at post-intervention and follow-up (Cohen's ds = .45-.46), relative to control students. Positive affect also improved at post-intervention (d = .58). No significant effects on internalisation, life engagement, eating pathology, self-esteem, or negative affect emerged. This study provides evidence for the acceptability and preliminary efficacy of Dove Confident Me in urban India. Intervention refinements to increase acceptability and efficacy are recommended.

Cultural adaptation and validation of the Body Esteem Scale for Adults and Adolescents for use in English among adolescents in urban India.

Body image research is growing in India; however, there are no psychometrically valid measures to assess body image concerns among an Indian population. In this study, the Body Esteem Scale for Adults and Adolescents (BESAA) underwent adaptation and validation among urban Indian adolescents in English. Cultural adaptations were made in consultation with body image experts and acceptability interviews with adolescents in India. 1462 adolescents living in Northern India completed the adapted BESAA and measures to assess construct validity. For girls, a 15-item three-factor model provided the best fit to our data, using exploratory factor analysis, with 'Appearance-Negative', 'Appearance-Positive', and 'Weight' subscales. For boys, a 7-item two-factor model provided best fit, with 'Appearance-Negative' and 'Appearance-Positive' subscales. Models were confirmed via confirmatory factor analysis. The scales demonstrated good internal consistency and satisfactory test-retest reliability. Construct, convergent validity was supported for girls and boys through significant correlations with figure rating scales and disordered eating. Further analyses using common items across the female and male scales, produced a psychometrically sound scale that can be used comparatively across genders. This study presents a culturally adapted, shortened BESAA as a valid and reliable measure to assess body image concerns in English among urban Indian adolescents.

Adaptation and validation of the Internalisation-General subscale of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ-3) in English among urban Indian adolescents.

Few studies have validated body image related measures in Asian countries, including in India, thus stunting research progress. To provide a robust method of assessing internalisation of cultural appearance ideals, the purpose of this study was to validate a culturally appropriate English version of the Internalisation-General subscale from the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Attitudes Questionnaire-3 among a school sample of 1,432 urban Indian adolescents (Mage = 12.9 years; 44 % girls). Exploratory factor analyses revealed a one-factor solution for both girls and boys. Analyses indicated a six-item scale for girls and a four-item scale for boys; both of which were verified by confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha was high for both female (.88) and male scales (.87), and convergent validity was confirmed via significant correlations with measures of body esteem and disordered eating. Using the items which were common in both the male and female versions of the scale, confirmatory factor analysis supported a psychometrically sound model that was gender invariant, and thus can be used to assess and compare both genders. Overall, results support the reliability and validity of the Internalisation-General subscale among English-speaking urban Indian adolescents.

Adaptation and validation of the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire in English among urban Indian adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: Eating pathology is a salient issue in India, with clinical features reported among adults and adolescents. However, there are currently no validated measures of disordered eating in the Indian context. The present study therefore aimed to validate a culturally appropriate English language version of the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), a widely used measure, among adolescents in India. METHOD: We adapted and examined the factor structure, reliability, and construct validity of the EDE-Q among an urban sample of 1,413 Indian adolescents (mean age = 13 years; 45% girls). RESULTS: In contrast to the original four-factor model, exploratory factor analysis identified a two-factor solution for girls and boys, which was verified by confirmatory factor analysis; a "Preoccupation and Control" subscale and a "Weight and Shape Concerns" subscale. The total scale comprised 15 items for girls and 18 items for boys. Test-retest reliability and internal consistency were satisfactory for the girls' and boys' scales (Cronbach's α = .91 for both) and their comprising subscales (αs ≥ .80). Concurrent validity was established through medium-high significant correlations with measures of body image and internalization of appearance ideals. Combining items common to both versions of the scale led to a psychometrically acceptable model which was largely invariant across both genders, thus facilitating gendered comparison. DISCUSSION: Findings indicate the reliability and validity of the EDE-Q among English-speaking urban Indian adolescents. This will facilitate further research examining the prevalence and nature of eating pathology among adolescents in India.

Subverting Heteronormativity: An Intervention to Foster Positive Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Among Indian College Students.

Prejudice against gay and lesbian persons remains largely an unaddressed issue in India. This experimental study involved designing, implementing, and assessing the effectiveness of an intervention to foster positive attitudes toward the homosexual community among Indian college students. The experimental group (n = 60) received a three-component module including perspective taking, education, and direct contact with gay and lesbian persons. Attitudes toward homosexuals, empathy, and self-esteem were measured using standardized questionnaires 15 days before the intervention and immediately following the intervention. No intervention was carried out with the control group (n = 55). Their attitudes were measured 15 days apart, parallel to the experimental group. Results showed that attitudes toward homosexuality improved significantly in the experimental group. The control group also showed a significant, but small, improvement in attitudes. Further, levels of empathy were found to increase only in the experimental group. Limitations, future directions, and implications of the study are discussed.

Breaking barriers: An education and contact intervention to reduce mental illness stigma among Indian college students / Rompiendo barreras: una intervención educativa y de contacto para reducir el estigma de los trastornos mentales en los estudiantes universitarios de la India

This study assessed the effectiveness of an intervention designed to foster more positive attitudes towards persons with mental illness among college students in Delhi. A total of 50 young people participated in a one-time education and contact based intervention. Attitudes towards persons with mental illness were assessed before the intervention, immediately after it and at a one week follow-up. Results indicated increased feelings of benevolence, community mental health ideology and less authoritarianism at the post-intervention assessments. Reduction in endorsement of social restrictiveness was also observed but only in the case of the immediate post-assessment. We also observed a greater recognition of needs, increased positive descriptions, decreased negative descriptions and reduced labelling after the intervention. These results support the efficacy of education and contact-based strategies for reducing mental illness stigma. Implications of the findings for low-middle income countries like India are discussed

El estudio valoró la eficacia de una intervención diseñada para favorecer unas actitudes más positivas hacia las personas con trastornos mentales entre los universitarios de Delhi. Un total de 50 jóvenes participaron en una intervención educativa y de contacto. Se evaluaron las actitudes hacia las personas con enfermedades mentales antes, justo después y una semana después de la intervención. Los resultados aumentaron los sentimientos de benevolencia, y la ideología de salud mental comunitaria y redujeron el autoritarismo en las evaluaciones después de la intervención. También se apreció una disminución del apoyo de la restricción social, pero solo en el caso de la evaluación inmediatamente posterior. Asimismo, se observó un mayor reconocimiento de las necesidades, más descripciones positivas, menos descripciones negativas y se redujeron las etiquetas después de la intervención. Estos resultados respaldan la eficacia de las estrategias de educación y contacto para reducir el estigma de los trastornos mentales. Se discuten las implicaciones de estos hallazgos para países de ingresos bajos-medios como la India