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Background: Occupational stress is common in nurses. Stress can impact the health of the nurses leading to somatic complaints. Aims and Objectives: (1) To determine the extent and causes of occupational stress among nurses at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Hospital. (2) To compare the stress levels among nurses depending on their years of experience. (3) To study any correlation between stress levels and the extent of somatic complaints. Materials and Methods: Ninety-seven staff nurses without any preexisting psychiatric illness were evaluated for occupational stress using the Expanded Nursing Stress Scale. The extent of somatization was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire – 15, in a cross-sectional study. Cronbach's alpha, analysis of variance, and Spearman's correlation co-efficient test were applied to the data. Results: An internal consistency of 0.945 was noted using Cronbach's alpha. 51.5% nurses experienced mild, 34% experienced moderate, and 2.10% experienced severe stress. Conflicts with supervisors, patients, and their families and workload were the main causes of occupational stress while discrimination was the least affected domain. Nurses with 6–10 years of experience had maximum stress. The stress levels correlated with the extent of somatic complaints. Conclusions: Occupational stress is prevalent in nurses. It may be higher in nurses with lesser experience and it can be associated with somatic complaints.

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Aim: Psychiatric morbidities seem to be one of the biggest hurdles in the stigmatized people of transgender. Lack of knowledge and ignorance with ever-growing abuse over this population make them vulnerable for mental instability. This study is an attempt to identify and access the psychiatric morbidities of gender dysphoric people of Imphal, Manipur. Materials and Methods: Using DSM-5 all qualified, consenting gender dysphoric people were assessed for psychiatric morbidities using Mini-International Neuropsychiatry Interview-Plus scale at Imphal, Manipur, and the results were compared using Chi-square test. Results: Substance use disorders were found in the majority of them. Twenty (62.5%) of them had current alcohol abuse, and 10 (31.2%) of them were dependent of alcohol. Fifteen (46.8%) of them were abusing other nonalcoholic psychotropic drugs. Twelve (37.5%) were suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) followed by 10 (31.2%) with current depressive disorder. Past suicidal attempts were found among 10 (31.2%) of them with 14 (41.2%) out of them for having current suicidal risk. Six (18.7%) of them were having dysthymia, 2 (6.2%) had panic disorder, 3 (9.4%) had agoraphobia and posttraumatic stress disorder, respectively, 8 (25%) suffered from social phobia, and 1 (3.2%) from specific phobia for spiders. Conclusions: This study found high prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders of which alcohol use disorder was the prominent one. Other psychiatric disorders such as GAD, depression, and suicidal risk were also found to be higher among these people. As this population is at higher risk of developing other psychiatric problems, regular screening and timely intervention is needed to prevent or treat psychiatric comorbidities.

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The relationship between testosterone and psychiatric disorders has been a long-standing one. The sex difference in schizophrenia has triggered to better understand the role that testosterone plays in the unfolding and clinical presentation of this psychotic disorder. DHEA and testosterone are found to influence dopaminergic, glutamatergic and GABAergic neurotransmission systems that are believed to play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The onset of schizophrenia in males, most frequently encountered during adolescence, is also characterized by an increase in testosterone levels. Some studies have also observed lower testosterone levels in adult males with schizophrenia (or psychosis) compared to healthy controls.

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Fluvoxamine is one of the commonly used selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as a first-line treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Galactorrhea is a rarely observed adverse effect of SSRIs occurring through complex interactions between serotonergic and dopaminergic systems of brain. We report a case of fluvoxamine-induced reversible euprolactinemic galactorrhea in a 39-year-old woman after initiation of fluvoxamine for OCD. The patient's galactorrhea resolved on discontinuation of fluvoxamine.

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Context: With relatively high transmission rate and fatal potential, the COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for widespread fear and psychological distress all over the world, including India. Aim: Assessment of these problems in the general population is the first step to address this problem. Settings and Design: We did an online survey using snowball sampling strategy through various social media communication platforms. Materials and Methods: Semi-structured format was used to collect sociodemographic data and COVID-19-related information. The Kessler's Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale were used for assessment psychological distress and fear, respectively. Results: A total of 530 study respondents had adequate participation from all socioeconomic strata, diverse educational and professional backgrounds, and from all parts of the country. Majority of the participants were from red zone districts of lockdown (72.8%) and considered the imposed lockdown as essential (98.7%), although many of them reported negative impact on their psychological state (38.9%). A substantial number (38%) of people reported psychological distress significantly (P < 0.05) associated with females, unmarried, students, lower socioeconomic status (SES), caretakers of COVID-19 patients, poor perceived physical health, and higher score on the Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Female participants and those belonging to lower SES and a red zone district also reported significantly (P < 0.05) higher degree of fear of COVID-19. Despite this, only about 10.9% of the respondents sought help through telephonic or online counseling and most (91.4%) of them found it helpful. Conclusions: The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on psychological health is catastrophic. Planned measures at local as well as national level are essential to avert this crisis.

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Background: Postpartum depression (PPD) is a depressive disorder, also known as postnatal depression. Despite responsiveness to treatment and serious consequences if untreated, PPD often remains unrecognized. This study aims to study the prevalence of PPD and to correlate risk factors associated with it. Materials and Methods: It was a cross-sectional study in Departments of OBGY, Pediatrics, and Psychiatry in a tertiary care hospital. Two hundred and fifty consecutive women, 1–6 weeks postpartum attending the above departments, were included after written informed consent. A specially designed semi-structured pro forma was used for correlation of various risk factors. Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used for diagnosing PPD. Results: In our study, we found that 20.4% of the women evaluated suffered from PPD. Significant risk factors for PPD included age below 30 years, financial dependence, positive family history of psychiatric illness and PPD, previous girl child, unwanted pregnancy, pressure to have a male child, and complications during pregnancy and delivery. Domestic violence, substance abuse in husband, and relationship issues also increased the risk. Conclusion: Considerable prevalence of PPD is found across various cultures. Prevention of risk factors is useful in primary prevention of PPD. In the future, our study can be used for screening females with high risk for developing PPD so that more intense interventions can be applied.

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Context: Schizophrenia affects 1%–1.5% of the population of the world. The illness commonly affects young population disturbing and disrupting the patient as well as his family. Research has demonstrated increased physical and mental health morbidities among these caretakers. Aims: The aim of this study was to explore various stresses and social problems faced by caretakers due to patient's schizophrenia. Settings and Design: A qualitative study of the distress experienced by primary caretaker of schizophrenia patients was undertaken at a tertiary hospital in an urban Indian setting. Methods: Relatives of 30 patients were assessed for their physical, psychological, and social problems. Their narratives of distress caused by patients' illness were recorded as verbatim and analyzed qualitatively manually. Statistical Analysis: Manual qualitative and quantitative analysis. Results: Caretaker was a parent in 72.3% of the cases. Distress due to blaming by relatives for not bringing up the child carefully was reportedly experienced by most parents, especially the mothers. Local cultural setting plays a huge influence in these highly personal and sensitive concerns. Social stigma, anxiety about illness, anger, and resentment were commonly reported. Conclusions: These insights into suffering of the caretakers of people suffering from schizophrenia in current local setting need to be considered and addressed as essential part of the management of Schizophrenia.

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With easy accessibility and advancements in technology, there has been an upsurge in gaming. Players may neglect their real life, even using gaming as a medium to build self esteem. This has led to increased prevalence of gaming disorder. There is a dearth of literature regarding the interplay between gaming disorder and psychosis. Here, we present three cases where a prodromal history of progressively increasing time spent gaming was found to be followed by the emergence of florid psychotic symptoms. Gaming might act as a risk factor for precipitating psychosis. Individuals experiencing PLEs (Psychotic Like Experiences) have been shown to use the Internet for reality substitution. Mental Health Professionals should be aware of the threat that Internet Gaming Disorder provides to mental health. Irrespective of whether it is an etiology or consequence of the psychosis, it warrants treatment.

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Background: Adolescents suffer from psychosocial problems at one time or the other during their development phase and they are highly vulnerable to develop psychiatric disorders. The aim of the study was to see the mental health status of school-going adolescents in Kohima district, Nagaland. Methods: The researcher used a cross-sectional study as the design. In the present study, field setting was private and government schools of Kohima district, Nagaland. The population sample consisted of school-going adolescents' age between 13 and 19 years from private and government schools in Kohima. Random sampling technique was used for the selection of schools. On the basis of which three schools were selected, the selected schools were taken consent from the school authority. Total enumeration method was used for data collection. A total of 702 students were recruited for the study. Adolescents, as well as parental consent, were undertaken. The study was undertaken with the approval of the Scientific Committee and the Ethical Committee of Lokopriya Gopinath Bordoloi Regional Institute of Mental Health. Socio-demographic data sheet and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were used. Results: The prevalence of mental health status on the basis of the total difficulties score was found to be 17.2% at the abnormal level whereas 28.8% was at the borderline level. The study results also revealed that in adolescent population, emotional problem was present in 17.1%, hyperactivity in 16.1%, conduct problem in 15.2%, peer problem in 5.6%, and prosocial behavior in 5.1%. Conclusions: Mental health problems are highly prevalent among the adolescent population in India. Early identification, treatment, and promotion of mental health services are required.

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Background: Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) have been prevalent among all societies and across the country. In India, the prevalence of AUD in 2010 as reported by the World Health Organization was 2.6% and 1.7% had reported heavy episodic drinking. AUD in India is especially important to watch out for because of consumption of country liquor and high rates of alcohol use in rural population. The aim of the study was to find the relation between AUD and cognitive impairment. Methods: The present study was carried out in the department of psychiatry of a tertiary health-care center and the data were collected from diagnosed cases of AUD. The sociodemographic profile and clinical variables were recorded in specific case report form prepared for this clinical study using Mini-Mental State Examination, Brief Cognitive Rating Scale (BCRS), and Bender Visual–Motor Gestalt Test Second Edition (BG II). Results: Of the 100 patients studied, most were young between the age groups of 18 and 30 (44.0%) years, followed by 31–40 years (40.0%), and 16.0% were above 40 years of age. Most of the patients had a history of alcohol use <10 years (43.0%) and 11–20 years (40.0%), whereas only 17% had it for over 20 years. Sociodemographic parameters such as age, marital status, family type, and residence and alcohol use parameters such as duration, pattern, type, severity, family history, and onset of alcohol use were significantly associated with the measures of cognitive function, i.e., Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), BCRS, and BG II. Conclusions: Longer duration of alcohol use, severity of AUD, daily drinking, heavy drinking, country liquor consumption started early in age, and family history of alcoholism influence the cognitive dysfunction in patients of AUD.

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Context: The number of elderly patients is expected to rise. However, the efforts required to integrate this aging population into our health-care system seem to be lacking. An improvement definitely has to be aimed for because the subject of geriatric medicine will personally concern each one of us in the future. Aims: This study aims to assess and compare knowledge, attitude, and perception toward elderly and aging in medical interns and postgraduate residents and compare attitudes toward aging among the different postgraduate branches. Settings and Design: This study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching municipal hospital and medical college. This was a cross-sectional study utilizing self-constructed structured questionnaires. Materials and Methods: Questionnaires on knowledge, attitude, and perception, constructed by the lead researcher and reviewed by an expert panel, were administered to the two groups. The responses were collected and analyzed. Statistical Analysis Used: Chi-square test and means of percentages were used. Results: Both groups showed a positive perception to the needs of the elderly. The interns showed a more negative attitude toward aging compared to the postgraduate students, with the differences being significant (P < 0.05) between the two groups in 16 out of 45 questions. On the knowledge questionnaire, a significant (P = 0.014) difference was seen between the teaching in interns and postgraduates. The analysis also revealed that general medicine and psychiatry had the best scores on the attitude questionnaire. Conclusions: Although the perception of elder-friendly city is same in both groups, interns have a more negative attitude toward aging which could stem from the inadequate knowledge being imparted during the undergraduate medical curriculum. Hence, there is a need to introduce geriatric medicine at an undergraduate level.

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New psychoactive substances (NPSs) are growing at an alarming rate causing a threat to the public health. They are available online or in head shops and come with variety of street names across the cities, states, and countries. NPSs are prepared in the laboratories either by tweaking or altering the chemical structure of existing substances such as cannabis and ecstasy. They are cheap, easy to obtain, and difficult to be detected by traditional drug screening methods. It has become very challenging to detect them within the clinical settings because of the fast rate of their availability and their constant changing structure. Their purity as well as pharmacology and toxic effects are still not known. These drugs cause major life-threatening complications, which is worrisome. The legal status of these drugs is ambiguous. The laws are complex, changing, are not well defined to control or regulate their use which is a major setback. As many clinicians are unaware of the existence of such drugs, the identification and management of withdrawal syndrome and overdose become difficult. There is a need to create awareness regarding the risks and the health hazards caused by these novel substances as well as to develop and design new prevention approaches that are able to attract the attention of the young population.

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Background: Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Global, estimation of suicide and suicidal behavior is leading cause of death and burden of diseases which is also the third leading cause of death in prison. It is a common mental health problem, and the magnitude is high especially in countries where mental health service is poor. Suicide ideation is the leading cause to commit suicide. However, there is lack of study regarding suicide in prison in African countries including Ethiopia. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of suicidal ideation and associated factors among prisoners in Addis-Ababa correctional center Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2015. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2015. Systematic random sampling technique was used to get a total of 423 samples of prisoners. After obtaining ethical clearance from the University of Gondar and Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital and verbal consent from the respondents, data were collected. The collected data were coded, entered, and cleaned by Epi Info version 7 and exported to SPSS version 20 for analysis. The strength of association was presented by odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI). The independent variables that fulfill P < 0.2 in the bivariate logistic regression analysis were entered to multivariable logistic regression analysis by enter method. Variables with P < 0.05 in multivariable logistic regression analysis were considered as have statistically significant association with dependent variables. Result: A total of 423 prisoners participated with 100% response rate. The magnitude of suicidal ideation in the last 1 month was 35 (8.04%); 95% CI (5.6–11.1). Being male (AOR = 2.962, 95% CI [1.307, 6.712]), perceived stigma (AOR = 2.666, 95% CI [1.161, 6.122]), and family history of suicide (AOR = 2.291, 95% CI [1.736, 7.129]) was associated with suicide ideation. Conclusions and Recommendations: The magnitude of suicide ideation in prisoners was higher than the general population. Hence, special attention pertaining to suicide prevention; should be given for prisoners.

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Context: This hospital-based study attempts to explore the morbidity load of categorized mental disorders along with the pattern of substance use in the adolescent group of people presenting to a tertiary hospital of Manipur, India. Aims: This study aims to document sociodemographic profiles, psychiatric morbidity, and substance use pattern among the adolescents attending the Department of Psychiatry of a tertiary hospital of Manipur, India. Settings and Design: This study was a cross-sectional, hospital-based study. Subjects and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 474 consecutive adolescent patients (10–19 years) attending both outpatient department and inpatient department of the Department of Psychiatry of a Tertiary Hospital of Manipur, India, were enrolled during the study. Diagnoses were made according to the ICD-10. Statistical Analysis: The statistical software, namely SPSS 22.0 and R environment ver. 3.2.2 were used for the analysis of the data. Results: Almost 68.4% were within 16–19 years, 51.3% lived with their families, 56.1% were male, 62% of them were Hindus, and majority of them were from urban background (54.4%). Neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders were the highest (41.4%), followed by psychotropic substance use in 21.3%, mood disorders in 14.8%, schizophrenia and delusional disorder in 12.2%, behavioral and emotional disorder in 9.3%, and disorders of adult personality and behavior (F60-69) in 0.4%. The most common categorical psychiatric diagnosis in males due to psychotropic substance use (37.2%) while neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders (61.1%) were the most common categorical diagnosis in females. Conclusions: Very few studies have been conducted to reflect the scenario and pattern of psychiatric morbidities in the state of Manipur. We hope this study will be helpful in reflecting the psychiatric morbidity load in the adolescent group for helping them with early diagnosis and intervention.

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Introduction: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global health problem with a high economic burden on the health-care system. Considering the chronic nature of disease patients undergoing hemodialysis are at risk of developing psychiatric disorders. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the incidence of depression and anxiety in CKD patients undergoing hemodialysis. Methods: This was a prospective, cross-sectional, observational study conducted between June 2016 and September 2017. Patients of either sex having CKD and undergoing hemodialysis were included in the study. Sociodemographic and depression and anxiety related details were collected. Results: A total 150 patients were enrolled in this study, of which 92 (61.3%) patients had depression and 42 (28%) had anxiety. Overall, depression was higher in males, but the difference was not significant; similarly, the anxiety was higher in males, but the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.050). Majority of patients with depression were aged more than 80 years; however, anxiety was more common in patients aged between 40 and 60 years. A total of 59.4% of depressive patients were Hindus, and 27.3% of anxiety patients were Hindus. The correlation between depression and marriage was significant; however, the relationship was not significant between anxiety and marriage. Among patients with depression 55.9% of patients were illiterate, and among patients with anxiety, 25.4% were illiterate. Conclusions: This study provides extensive information on the relationship between depression or anxiety and sociodemographics features among patients with CKD undergoing hemodialysis.

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Background: One of the greatest and oldest taboos in our society is halitosis which is considered as a common dental condition and is suffered by many individuals around the world and dentists are usually the ones they turn to for their first professional help. Aim: This study aims to understand the psychological and the social effects of halitosis among young adults and to correlate their psychosocial effects with different level of halitosis. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on participants (n = 200; range 18–25 years) using a self-administered closed-ended questionnaire to detect the psychological and social effects of halitosis on individuals, and severity of their halitosis was checked using a device, FitScan^® Breath Checker (Tanita Incorporation). A parallel was drawn between their psychosocial effects and severity of halitosis. Results: There were 94 (47%) males and 106 (53%) females used in this study. The age group used was 18–25 years and the younger age group showed a higher incidence of halitosis in relation to the older age group. About 44 (22%) patients out of the 200 gave a score of 0-Happy face on the device FitScan indicating that they were suffering from pseudohalitosis and not true halitosis. Both genders showed not much of difference with respect to the psychological impact of halitosis, however, social impact was seen more in females. Conclusion: This study revealed that pseudohalitosis is common among individuals and it restricts one's caliber. The social effects of halitosis are seen greatly in females, however, the psychological impact of halitosis is seen almost equally in both the genders.

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The prevalence of substance use disorders is on an upsurge in the Indian population. Unfortunately, they remain one of the most under reported and undertreated medical conditions. Stigma, in its various forms, can act as a barrier to treatment, reduce willingness of policy-makers to allot resources, and that of health-care providers, to effectively screen and treat. This makes it difficult and challenging for the recovery and reintegration of the patients into mainstream healthcare. In the Indian context, it becomes all the more difficult because of factors such as low literacy, prevalent socio-cultural beliefs, and lack of stringent law enforcement. We intend to highlight the problem of stigma in substance use and its consequences along with the amenable solutions in future.

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Office-based psychotherapy practice is a challenging and vexing task for psychiatrists. Psychotherapy has not yet found a firm footing as an accepted form of therapy by many patients. Psychiatrists offering psychotherapy as a treatment face many challenges that may be social, psychological, and ethical. The present review paper posits an overview of the various challenges that besiege office-based psychotherapy in private psychiatric practice. Issues right from the initiation and basic premise of describing psychotherapy and issues concerning its mechanism of action and efficacy along with individualization of therapy are discussed. The challenges of online psychotherapy and dealing with clients that refuse medical help along with the perils of eclectic psychotherapy are highlighted. Handling adolescents which poses many challenges is also discussed along with an emphasis on the sound termination of psychotherapy. The paper aims to sensitize the readers to the various challenges that office-based psychotherapy poses while providing an overview on the subject. Each of the challenges in this paper is subtopics in themselves and may warrant separate review papers in their own right.

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Cognitive impairments in mental disorders are common, poorly recognized, and largely unaddressed despite their significant impact on daily life functioning. Today, the treatment of psychiatric disorders goes beyond only symptom management and emphasizes optimizing functional abilities. Cognitive Rehabilitation or Cognitive Remediation(CR) is the nonpharmacological intervention that has received attention over the last few decades and is steadily emerging as a potentially strong tool to manage cognitive issues that impact functional outcomes. A large body of research has studied role of CR in schizophrenia populations, and the role in other disorders is now being explored. This review looks at the various studies from across the globe and in India to understand the types of programs, their theoretical underpinnings, imaging data, and efficacy of CR. There is considerable heterogeneity across studies in terms of methods, materials, and approaches, and it is challenging to identify the key active ingredients that ensure success. Overall, the meta-analysis studies have identified strategy coaching by an expert therapist and use of CR in conjunction with psychosocial and vocational programs as important factors to ensure best results. Despite promising results in enhancing cognition across most studies, generalization and transfer of this improvement to real-life functioning still remains elusive. Other moderators that can possibly influence outcomes such as motivation factors, therapist-patient relationship, personal goals of the patient and families, and the socioeconomic milieu of the patient need to be studied more extensively in the future studies to develop a comprehensive model of cognitive rehabilitation.

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Indian subcontinent, diverse though in many respects, has a common systematized cultural mechanism to cope with loss. What is unique about Hindus is their belief in reincarnation and the concept of karma. Writing Living Will (LW) or the Advanced Directive, I thought, was a brilliant idea to guide families to deal with the end-of-life situation of their loved ones. I enthusiastically advised my elderly colleagues in various forums to write the LW, lest had I predicted any negative fallout of this deed. I describe below the heated debates due to LW within the bereaved families. In both cases, the families argued that the reincarnation and transmigration of the soul cycle would be interrupted by not cremating the dead. Some instructions left in the LW were at variance with the traditional practices that created potentially explosive situations in the cases I describe below. Most contentious directive was no cremation and postdeath rites and rituals that created conflict of ideology and moral dilemma for the children. The author wants to share the latter with readers and stimulate discussion. Mourning and traditional grieving is encouraged in many cultures; can this not tantamount to systematic grief therapy? In many cultures, grief, and bereavement, through ages, have inspired renowned poets and scientists to express their viewpoints.

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