Screen Time beyond Gaming and Social Media: Excessive and Problematic Use of Over the Top (OTT) Platforms among College Students during COVID-19 Pandemic.

There is a gap in existing literature regarding Over the Top (OTT) platform use contributing to the excessive and problematic screen time. We aimed to assess OTT platform use among college students and its associations with increased screen time, mental well-being, COVID-19 related anxiety and personality traits. A total of 1039 students from a college in India were invited to participate in this web-based survey. A majority of participants used OTT platforms regularly. Subscription to paid OTT platforms, poor mental well-being were associated with problematic OTT use; whereas personality trait of conscientiousness seemed to offer protection against problematic OTT use.

Impact of lockdown following COVID-19 on the gaming behavior of college students.

BACKGROUND: The uncertainty about the impact of the lockdown in wake of COVID-19 on their future academic and carrier prospects, besides other concerns; makes college students, particularly vulnerable to stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gaming has been recognized as a coping mechanism against stress in the previously published literature. OBJECTIVES: The current study aimed to assess the gaming behavior of college students during the lockdown following COVID-19. METHODS: Data were collected from a cohort of students that constituted the sampling frame of an ongoing project. A total of 393 college students were enrolled. All the eligible students were subsequently contacted through E-mail and WhatsApp messenger and invited to share the details. RESULTS: About half (50.8%) of the participants reported that their gaming behavior had increased, whereas 14.6% reported a decrease in their gaming during the lockdown period. In binary logistic regression analysis, hours of gaming per day (odds ratio [OR] 1.75 [1.29-2.36]), increase in gaming due to examination related stress (OR 4.96 [1.12-21.98]), and belief that gaming helps managing stress (OR 4.27 [1.65-11.04]), were found to be independently associated with gaming behavior during lockdown period. CONCLUSION: In the lockdown period following COVID-19 pandemic, the increase in gaming behavior was associated with examination-related stress and the belief that gaming helps combat stress. These observations highlight the need to focus on the coping style of the students to ascertain the likelihood of them engaging in gaming behavior as a coping mechanism against stress.

Awareness, Self-Assessment and Help Seeking Behavior for Behavioral Addictions Related to Use of Mobile Technology Among Attendees of a Health Camp.

Introduction: Behavioral addictions are increasingly being recognized as a major public health problem. While this issue continues to hog the limelight in the media, there is limited scientific research on this theme from India. Objectives: We aimed at presenting the findings on assessment of the awareness, self-assessment and help seeking behavior for behavioral addictions related to use of mobile technology among attendees of a trade promotion event. Methods: We report findings from a health camp organized as part of a large trade promotion event in the northern part of India. The trade promotion event was open to the general public. As part of the screening services offered at the health camp, the visitors were offered to screen themselves on the theme of behavioral addictions related to use of mobile technology using a self-administered questionnaire. We carried out a chart review of the data gathered at the health camp. Results: We assessed records of a total of 817 respondents who completed the screening using the self-administered questionnaire. The mean age of the respondents was 32.35 years (SD ± 13.62). Approximately 56% of the respondents rated themselves to be having at least one of the nine features of behavioral addictions. Around 15% of the respondents endorsed five or more features. Around 41% of the respondents mentioned that they shall agree to the professional help in case they are having behavioral addiction related to use of mobile technology. Fifteen percent of the respondents agreed to have sought some help in the past. The logistic regression analysis revealed that the odds of help seeking increased significantly with every single increase in the number of self-assessed feature of behavioral addiction.

Problematic internet use among students in South-East Asia: Current state of evidence.

Problematic Internet use (PIU) among students has become a significant mental health concern. Our goals were to review the existing studies on problematic Internet from Southeast Asian Region and examine: the prevalence for PIU among students; explore for sociodemographic and clinical correlates; and assess the physical, mental, and psychosocial impact of PIU in this population. All studies conducted among population of the Southeast Asia, involving students (school students to postgraduate students) of any age which explored etiological factors and/or the prevalence or any other factor associated with PIU/Internet addiction were considered eligible for the present review. The electronic databases of PubMed and Google Scholar were systematically searched for the relevant published studies up to and including October 2016. Our search strategy yielded 549 articles, 295 of which were eligible for screening based on their publication in English language in a peer-reviewed journal. Of these, a total of 38 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. The prevalence of severe PIU/Internet addiction ranged from 0 to 47.4%, whereas the prevalence of Internet overuse/possible Internet addiction ranged from 7.4% to 46.4% among students from Southeast Asia. Physical impairments in the form of insomnia (26.8%), daytime sleepiness (20%), and eye strain (19%) were also reported among problem users. There is a need to conduct further research in this area to explore the protective and risk factors associated with it and also longitudinally assess the trajectories of the outcome.

Characteristics Associated with Substance Use and Non-use Among Street Children in Delhi, India: A Community-based Cross-sectional Epidemiological Study.

Background: Street children are vulnerable to adverse health and risk behaviors and drug use. Substance use among street children has been well documented in several countries. This study reports sociodemographic and peer, family, and stress-related factors associated with substance use and non-use in a representative sample of street children of Delhi. Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted through six NGOs working with street children, using Respondent Driven Sampling, in nine districts of Delhi (n = 766, 7-18 years). The multivariable model was developed by applying binary logistic regression analysis. Results: The rate of substance use was 49%. Significant association was found between substance use in the past year and increasing age [Odds Ratio: OR (95% Confidence Interval)] [1.22(1.12,1.33)], male sex [4.34 (2.28,8.26)], lacking psychosocial support from family/relatives [3.27(1.84,5.80)], being engaged in earning from illegal sources, [3.04(1.75,5.29)], family use of substance [2.59(1.38,4.89)], presence of substance-using peers [29.86(14.38,62.01)], lack of non-drug-using peers [2.35(1.46,3.79)], and not possessing basic amenities [2.26(1.31,3.93)]. Conclusion: Multiple modifiable factors exist within the family and peer group, including risk and protective factors or a consequence of substance use. Some challenges in the form of difficulty in reaching out to them and poor treatment seeking by those using substances warrant intensification in both primary and secondary prevention initiatives.

Changes in Psychosocial Variables Among Caregivers of Patients With Schizophrenia: A Short-Term Follow-Up Study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Caring for a person with schizophrenia entails considerable effort. The caregiving experience while caring for a person with schizophrenia has been described as both stressful and enriching. The literature on changes in caregiving experience with time has been fairly limited. The present analysis looks at the change in the caregiving experience of caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. METHOD: This study had a sample of 50 caregivers of patients with schizophrenia who were followed up after a period of 6 to 10 months. Caregiving experience, knowledge of the mental illness, family functioning, coping, social support, psychological distress, quality of life, and spiritual, religious, and personal beliefs were assessed at the two time points. RESULTS: Among the negative caregiving experiences, caregivers' need for back-up and patient dependency reduced significantly at follow-up as compared to baseline, though total negative or positive experiences of caregiving did not show a significant difference. Knowledge about mental illness did not significantly increase at follow-up, though issues related to poor communication and affective involvement in family functioning reduced over the period of time. Coping and social support remained largely the same, while psychological distress was reduced. All domains of quality of life improved over the follow-up period, while the hope, optimism, and inner peace aspects of spiritual, religious, and personal beliefs improved with time. CONCLUSION: Some aspects of caregiving experiences may change with time. As caregivers become more adjusted to caregiving roles, their distress may reduce, and their quality of life may improve.

Psychosocial Correlates of the Experience of Caregiving Among Caregivers of Patients With Schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Family caregivers provide essential support to their loved ones with schizophrenia with profound outcomes for themselves. The caregiver burden fails to consider the entire caregiving experience, which also incorporates positive aspects of caring. Many potentially significant variables are associated with this. AIM: To examine the correlates of the experience of caregiving in caregivers of patients with schizophrenia. The specific objectives were to examine the socio-demographic variables of the patients and caregivers, clinical variables of the patient, caregivers' knowledge of illness, caregivers' perspectives of family functioning, caregiver coping, their social support, psychological distress, quality of life, and their spirituality, religiosity and personal beliefs and the associations of these variables with the caregivers' experience of caregiving. METHODS: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted between August 2018 and January 2021 at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India. One hundred and fifty-eight dyads of patients with schizophrenia and their family caregivers were recruited using purposive sampling. Experience of Caregiving Inventory was used to evaluate the caregiving experience. The caregivers were also assessed on socio-demographics, knowledge of illness, family functioning, coping, social support, general mental health, quality of life, and spiritual, religious, and personal beliefs. Patient socio-demographics and clinical variables were also assessed. RESULTS: A negative experience of caregiving was reported by caregivers of patients who had higher positive or negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Impaired Communication, Roles, Affective Responsiveness, Affective Involvement, and General Functioning aspects of family functioning were associated with a negative experience of caregiving. Denial/blame and seeking social support as coping were also associated with a negative experience of caregiving. A negative experience of caregiving was significantly positively correlated with greater psychological distress and poorer quality of life. Greater inner peace was associated with a less negative experience of caregiving. Spiritual strength was associated with a more positive experience of caregiving. Knowledge of mental illness and caregiver social support were not significantly associated with the experience of caregiving. CONCLUSION: Experience of caregiving is a relevant construct, the understanding of which can help inform caregiver-directed interventions in the future. Specifically, family-based interventions, which include ameliorating patient symptomatology, improving the family environment, strengthening caregivers' coping strategies, attending to caregiver distress, and encouraging spirituality among caregivers, may lead to a less negative and more positive experience of caregiving; and a better quality of life for caregivers.

Prevalence of specific developmental disorder of scholastic skill in school students in Chandigarh, India.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Several studies have been conducted in India to determine the prevalence of learning disabilities in school children which has been reported to be 3-10 per cent among students population. The present study was conducted to find out prevalence of specific developmental disorder of scholastic skills in students of classes VII to XII and to find out feasibility of screening tool in Chandigarh, India. METHODS: A cross-sectional study on school students was carried out in two phases. The students were drawn from classes VII to XII from 10 schools of Chandigarh, India. Details of academic performance of all the students was taken, subjectively from class teachers and objectively from the marks obtained in the last academic session. In phase I, 2402 students were assessed. In phase II, 108 students were randomly selected for evaluation for assessing sensitivity and specificity of screening proforma for teachers. A total of 124 students from phase I and all students in phase II were assessed in detail. Tests of intelligence (Malin's Intelligence Scale for Indian Children and Standard Progressive Matrices), and NIMHANS Index for specific learning disability (SLD) battery were administered. RESULTS: A total of 38 students were found to be having specific developmental disorder of scholastic skills in phase I, that gave a prevalence of 1.58 per cent. Majority had mixed type of errors on SLD battery. There were more boys diagnosed with specific learning disability. Teacher's screening instrument had high sensitivity (90.385) and specificity (94.68). INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: The findings of our study conducted in community, showed that specific learning disability was not identified even till later age. The screening instrument thus could be used by teachers to suspect students with specific learning disability.

A randomized controlled trial to assess effectiveness of GamE- an e-Health intervention to self-manage gaming with an aim to prevent gaming disorder.

Gaming disorder is a health concern associated with significant impairment. Digital technology can be helpful for implementing preventive measures for gaming disorder. This randomized trial aimed to assess the effectiveness of an e-Health intervention to prevent gaming disorder among college students. This randomized trial compared an online intervention module aimed at improving knowledge, skill and attitude of the students and empower them with self- help strategies to monitor and regulate their gaming behavior with an aim to prevent gaming disorder, with wait list control. The sample comprised of 30 cases and 33 controls. The understanding of the concept of gaming, understanding of difference between gaming and gaming disorder, understanding of adverse effects associated with gaming disorder, understanding of screening of gaming disorder and self-help techniques of regulating gaming disorder increased more in the intervention group than control. The participants most favored self-monitoring and strategies to promote healthy lifestyles for regulating gaming. Online digital intervention can be effectively used as a strategy to prevent gaming disorder among college students. Such an intervention can empower students with strategies to regulate their extent of gaming.

Deliberate self-harm in adolescents: A review of literature.

Deliberate self-harm is a rising epidemic in the youth. This review examined the different self-harm behavior, approach to treatment, and the implication of such behaviors in the adolescent population in the academic literature. Using the PubMed database, we searched for specific terms related to different self-harm behaviors in Adolescents. The bibliography of the articles found relevant for the review was also screened. Each study's findings were taken with reference to our topic and findings were summarized. After reviewing the literature, we found that the prevalence of suicidal attempts was as high as 18% in the past year While the nonsuicidal attempts were as high as 31%. Risk factors associated with higher levels of suicide were bullying, loneliness and anxiety, tobacco and alcohol use, and weak family and social relationships. While the factors playing a protective role are being connected to school, having good social support, and attending school. There are very few studies focused on interventions related to suicide prevention in Adolescent and postvention programs. Out of the evidence available, the interventions are not focused on the target individuals and lack replicability. Self-harm is a major public health concern which needs to be understood holistically. The interventions aimed at preventing and managing self-harm behavior still need to be more targeted and precise. Other targets may include interventions suited to different phases of development, stopping the progression of the behavior to adulthood, including the varied population in such intervention, etc.

Psychosocial factors among patients undergoing orbital exenteration.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Patients undergoing exenteration have significant anxiety and depression, and lower quality of life that worsens after surgery. Therefore, counselling by an eye health-care provider along with the team of psychologist and psychiatrist could be provided pre-operatively to assess baseline psychosocial status and be continued post-operatively to look for any deterioration. BACKGROUND: Orbital exenteration comes with psychological trauma of disfigurement of face. The study aimed to evaluate the quality of life, anxiety and depression in patients undergoing orbital exenteration, before and after the procedure; and also compared the same with patients previously rehabilitated by spectacle-mounted prosthesis after exenteration. METHODS: It was a prospective cohort study. Group I included patients who were planned to undergo orbital exenteration, and group II were those already using spectacle-mounted prosthesis post orbital exenteration for at least 3 months. Level of depression was assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire-9(PHQ-9), anxiety using Generalised Anxiety and Depression scale-7(GAD-7), and quality of life was assessed using Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy- General (FACT-G) score. RESULTS: A total of 19 patients were recruited in group I and 10 patients in group II. The baseline demographic factors were comparable. The scores for PHQ-9 and GAD-7 were significantly higher at 3-month post-exenteration follow-up, indicating significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression after orbital exenteration in group I. Both these scores were significantly lower in group II compared to group I (3 months follow-up), indicating lower levels of anxiety and depression after rehabilitation with prosthesis. The FACT-G and its subscores were all significantly higher in group II patients compared to post-operative scores of group I patients, indicating higher overall quality of life after rehabilitation with prosthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Patients undergoing exenteration have a significant level of anxiety and depression, and lower quality of life that worsens after orbital exenteration.

A qualitative study to assess the psychological experiences and coping strategies of families affected with Li-Fraumeni syndrome in the Indian population.

Background: Li-Fraumeni syndrome (LFS) is a rare autosomal dominant hereditary cancer syndrome. Due to the high risk of occurrence of multiple cancers, families with LFS may have an overwhelming psychosocial burden. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care center using face-to-face interviews through a grounded theory approach. Statistical analysis was done using Smith's Interpretative Phenomenological Approach. Themes and sub-themes were extracted, and a thematic schema was developed. Results: A total of five themes were identified. The extracted themes were psychological experiences, behavioural responses, stressors, coping strategies and perceived needs. The interlay of the themes deepened the impact of LFS on the affected ones and brought into light the turmoil of emotions and difficulties that these individuals were going through in the face of the disease. Conclusions: LFS-affected individuals had a range of experiences with this rare and little-known disease. The lack of information seems to be a precursor to the denial of diagnosis. Their experience with the illness sheds light on the grey areas like guilt and helplessness that demand immediate attention. Future policies need to be developed in accordance with the identified perceived needs to potentially guide the treatment and rising needs of LFS-affected individuals.

fMRI Analysis of Dissociative Convulsions: A Case-Controlled Study.

Background and Objectives: Dissociative convulsions represent complex biopsychosocial etiopathogenesis and have semiological similarities with epilepsy, which leads to delays in definitive diagnosis as well as treatment. We explored the neurobiological underpinnings of dissociative convulsions using a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) design targeting cognitive, affective, and resting state characteristics in our subjects. Materials and Methods: Seventeen female patients with dissociative convulsions without any co-morbid psychiatric or neurological illness and 17 matched healthy controls underwent standardized task-based (affective and cognitive) and resting state fMRI. Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activation results were compared across the groups, and correlation with the severity of dissociation was measured. Results: Patients with dissociative convulsions had lower activation in the left cingulate gyrus, left paracentral lobule, right middle and inferior frontal gyrus, right caudate nucleus, and right thalamus. There was increased resting state functional connectivity (FC) between the left posterior superior temporal gyrus and left superior parietal lobule; left amygdala and Default Mode Network (DMN) of right lateral parietal cortex; right supramarginal gyrus and left cuneus in the patient group. Patients also had decreased FC between the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and left thalamus; ACC and right central opercular cortex; DMN of PCC, posterior cingulate gyrus, and right middle temporal lobe. Conclusions: Patients with dissociative convulsions have significant deficits in the areas associated with the processing of emotional, cognitive, memory, and sensory-motor functions. There is a significant correlation between dissociative severity and the functioning of areas involving the processing of emotions, cognition, and memory.

Effects of cumulative COVID-19 cases on mental health: Evidence from multi-country survey.

BACKGROUND: Depression and anxiety were both ranked among the top 25 leading causes of global burden of diseases in 2019 prior to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The pandemic affected, and in many cases threatened, the health and lives of millions of people across the globe and within the first year, global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% with the greatest influx in places highly affected by COVID-19. AIM: To explore the psychological impact of the pandemic and resultant restrictions in different countries using an opportunistic sample and online questionnaire in different phases of the pandemic. METHODS: A repeated, cross-sectional online international survey of adults, 16 years and above, was carried out in 10 countries (United Kingdom, India, Canada, Bangladesh, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Egypt, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia). The online questionnaire was based on published approaches to understand the psychological impact of COVID-19 and the resultant restrictions. Five standardised measures were included to explore levels of depression [patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9)], anxiety [generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) assessment], impact of trauma [the impact of events scale-revised (IES-R)], loneliness (a brief loneliness scale), and social support (The Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social support). RESULTS: There were two rounds of the online survey in 10 countries with 42866 participants in Round 1 and 92260 in Round 2. The largest number of participants recruited from the United Kingdom (112985 overall). The majority of participants reported receiving no support from mental health services throughout the pandemic. This study found that the daily cumulative COVID-19 cases had a statistically significant effect on PHQ-9, GAD-7, and IES-R scores. These scores significantly increased in the second round of surveys with the ordinary least squares regression results with regression discontinuity design specification (to control lockdown effects) confirming these results. The study findings imply that participants' mental health worsened with high cumulative COVID-19 cases. CONCLUSION: Whist we are still living through the impact of COVID-19, this paper focuses on its impact on mental health, discusses the possible consequences and future implications. This study revealed that daily cumulative COVID-19 cases have a significant impact on depression, anxiety, and trauma. Increasing cumulative cases influenced and impacted education, employment, socialization and finances, to name but a few. Building a database of global evidence will allow for future planning of pandemics, particularly the impact on mental health of populations considering the cultural differences.

Development of Home-Based Intervention Module for Specific Learning Disorder Mixed Type: A Qualitative Study.

Background: Despite significant prevalence of specific learning disorder (SLD) in India, insufficient efforts have been taken to deal with its burden. Currently, the workforce is limited and resources are expensive and difficult for families to access. Consequently, developing an alternative remedial program in the form of a home-based intervention (HBI) is imperative. This article describes the development phase of a manualized HBI program for 7 to 12-year-old children with SLD. Methods: Extensive literature search, 7 focus group discussions with parents of children with and without SLD and teachers/counselors (n = 44), and 22 in-depth interviews with SLD children (n = 9) and professionals (n = 13) were conducted. A thematic analysis was done. Intervention strategies were identified based on themes. Experts' feedback about the content and structure of HBI was also taken. Results: The design and application of the HBI program integrate several intervention areas, including psychoeducation, learning strategies, cognitive, social, and behavioral techniques, and therapy for parents. HBI comprised 14 parent training sessions, the duration being 45 to 60 min per session, over six months. Parent training consisted of four steps. (a) The researcher/clinician describes the steps of reading, writing, or math strategies to the parents/caregivers; (b) the researcher/clinician implements the strategies with or without the presence of the child and observation by the parent; (c) the parent practices the strategies in front of the researcher/clinician; and (d) the researcher/clinician observes parents' practice and corrects them if required. Conclusion: HBI manual for children with SLD-mixed type has been developed, keeping with all stakeholders' perspectives. Further study is on the way to assess its acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness.

Evaluation of Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Tone and Reactivity in Adolescents with Specific Learning Disorder (Dyslexia).

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the autonomic function in specific learning disorder (SLD) and comorbid SLD attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (SLD-ADHD). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital with 20 adolescent subjects each of confirmed SLD, SLD-ADHD, and healthy control (mean age 15.32 y). Heart-rate variability and autonomic-function tests were carried out using standard protocols. RESULTS: Heart-rate variability parameters, viz., mean RR interval, number of RR intervals which differ by ≥ 50 ms (NN50), percentage NN50, standard deviation of differences between adjacent RR intervals, root square of mean of the sum of the squares of differences between adjacent RR intervals, coefficient of variance and absolute power of high-frequency band (HF) recorded apparently lower levels in SLD and SLD-ADHD as compared to healthy control indicating lower parasympathetic tone. Whereas, higher absolute power of low- frequency band (LF) in SLD and SLD-ADHD than healthy control indicated enhanced sympathetic activity. Higher LF/HF and lower SD1/SD2 ratios in SLD and SLD-ADHD than healthy control indicated higher sympathetic tone over parasympathetic tone. Values of autonomic-function tests such as E:I ratio, change in heart rate during deep-breathing test, 30:15 ratio, and Valsalva ratio showed a decrease in SLD and SLD-ADHD as compared to healthy control implying reduction in parasympathetic reactivity. Increased values for rise in diastolic blood pressure in the isometric handgrip test and cold pressor test recorded in SLD as compared to healthy control, revealed the increased sympathetic reactivity. CONCLUSION: Overall, results of heart-rate variability and autonomic-function tests imply dysregulation of sympathetic and parasympathetic activities with sympathetic dominance in SLD and SLD-ADHD.

Neurochemical correlates of cognitive functions in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder: 1H-MRS study.

OBJECTIVES: We assessed and correlated neurochemical levels and cognitive functions in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and left hippocampus in euthymic patients with bipolar disorder and compared these with healthy controls METHODOLOGY: Twenty-five right-handed euthymic patients (HAM-D score < 7, and YMRS score < 7) with bipolar disorder and 20 age and gender matched controls were compared for neurometabolites (n-acetylaspartate - tNAA, choline - Cho, creatinine - Cr, myoinositol - Ins, and glutamine/glutamate - Glu/Gln) measured in left DLPFC and left hippocampus using single voxel magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and cognitive functions assessed using trail making test (TMT - A and B), wisconsin card sorting test (WCST), and wechsler memory scale (WMS-III Indian adaptation). RESULTS: The two groups were comparable on socio-demographic variables. tNAA levels in DLPFC and hippocampus, and glutamate levels in hippocampus were found to be significantly lower and Inositol and glutamine levels in hippocampus were found to be significantly higher in patients as compared to controls. Patients performed significantly poorly as compared to controls on TMT A & B, all subscales of WMS - III, 5 subscales of WCST, including perseverative responses and errors. The tNAA and glutamate levels in left DLPFC in patients correlated with scores on TMT A & B, and several subscales of WCST and WMS-III. tNAA concentration in left hippocampus in patients correlated with scores on subscales of WMS-III. CONCLUSION: Neurochemical dysfunction in select brain areas directly correlates with impairment in cognitive functions seen in patients with bipolar disorder in euthymic phase.

Psychiatric Morbidity and Behavioral Problems in Children and Adolescents with Bronchial Asthma.

OBJECTIVES: Psychiatric morbidity and behavioral problems are quite common in children and adolescents with bronchial asthma, yet they remain underexplored and often ignored in clinical settings. This can impact the child's overall quality of life. There seems to be a dearth of Indian literature and so the current study was planned to assess psychological impact of asthma on the pediatric population. METHODS: Thirty children and adolescents, attending the Pediatric Chest Clinic at a tertiary care hospital in North India in the age group of 8-15 y having moderate to severe asthma formed the study group and matched healthy controls formed the other group. Sociodemographic and clinical details were obtained. Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (M.I.N.I. KID) and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were applied. RESULTS: Irregular attendance at school was reported by 23.33% of the participants with asthma. About 17% of the thirty study-participants were diagnosed with specific phobia, 10% with conduct disorder, and 7% with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Participants in the study group had significantly more behavioral problems in the syndrome domain anxious/depressed and attention problems. Total CBCL scores were significantly higher in the study group as compared to the control group (t = 3.816, p = 0.0003), indicating the presence of more behavioral problems in pediatric population with bronchial asthma. CONCLUSION: Children and adolescents with bronchial asthma have co-morbid psychiatric morbidities and behavioral problems.

Magnitude of psychiatric comorbidity in patients with obesity in Northern Indian population.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: To determine the prevalence of different psychiatric comorbidities in patients with obesity and study their relationship with the degrees of obesity. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 151 patients with a BMI≥25 kg/m2. Subjects with diagnosed psychiatric illness, type 2 diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease or any neurological illness were excluded. Prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities was assessed by MINI screening tool for all major axis 1 disorders including anxiety, eating and mood disorders. The WHOQOL-BREF was used for assessment of well-being, in the four domains, physical, psychological, social and environmental. RESULTS: Females constituted 68.6% of the study population. Lifetime diagnosis of any psychiatric illness was present in 24%, higher in females than males [31% vs 9%, p = 0.003]. The WHOQOL-BREF average scores of psychological, physical and environmental domains were significantly lower (p < 0.001) in patients diagnosed with depression as compared to those without. The WHOQOL-BREF average score of only the physical domain were significantly lower in individuals with BMI ≥30 kg/m2 as compared to those with BMI <30 kg/m2. CONCLUSIONS: The burden of undiagnosed psychiatric comorbidity in patients with obesity decreases the quality of life. There is need to screen for psychiatric comorbidities for effective management of obesity.

The pattern of problematic internet use and mental health-related internet use among psychiatric outpatients at a tertiary care center.

Objective: There is scarce literature available on the pattern of problematic internet use (PIU) and use of internet for mental health help-seeking among adult patients with psychiatric disorders in South-East Asian countries. The present study aimed to understand the pattern of PIU among adult patients attending the outpatient psychiatry services at a tertiary care center in India. Further, it aimed to explore the use of internet for seeking mental health-related information or services among them. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited adult outpatients attending the outpatient psychiatry services following purposive sampling between June 2018 and December 2018. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding sociodemographic characteristics and internet use pattern of participants, including use of internet for various mental health-related purposes. The Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 (GPIUS-2) was used to assess the PIU. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 23.0 software. Results: Among 155 study participants, 45 (29.03%) scored above 60 on GPIUS-2. Those with PIU were significantly younger, reported higher duration of daily internet use, and spent greater proportion of time online on activities related to social networking or social media than those with and without PIU. More than half of the participants reported internet use for seeking mental health-related information at least once in the past 1 month. There was no significant difference in the mental health-related internet use among adult patients with different psychiatric diagnoses, except for two situations. There was lesser use of internet for seeking information related to the symptoms of illness and various treatment modalities available among participants diagnosed with psychotic disorder. On the other hand, a greater use of internet for seeking information related to the symptoms of illness was reported by participants diagnosed with anxiety disorder. Conclusion: This study suggested that PIU is a frequently cooccurring condition among adult patients with primary psychiatric disorder. The importance of internet as a medium for seeking mental health information and services was observed among most of the study participants.