Sociodemographic Proforma Research Articles

Impact of psychiatric comorbidity on quality of life and activities of daily living among patients suffering from chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a debilitating illness that impairs an individual's physical and social functioning and ultimately affects the quality of life (QOL). To determine the impact of psychiatric comorbidity on QOL and activities of daily living in individuals suffering from CKD undergoing hemodialysis. Fifty subjects suffering from CKD undergoing hemodialysis were consequently enrolled in the department of medicine. Institutional ethics committee permission was obtained before the start of the study. The interview was conducted only after the hemodialysis procedure. Consent was obtained and socio-demographic details were noted in the socio-demographic proforma. Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) was used to assess psychiatric comorbidity. QOL was assessed on Short Form-36 (SF-36). Katz Index of Independence of Activities of Daily Living scale (KADL) was used to assess the activities of living of such individuals. 46% (n = 23) of subjects suffering from CKD had psychiatric co-morbidity. The most common psychiatric disorder observed was moderate depressive disorder (14%, n = 7) followed by adjustment disorder (12%, n = 6). QOL on SF-36 in all eight domains was low compared to the general population. There was a high statistically significant negative impact of psychiatric comorbidity on QOL on eight domains of SF-36 and activities of daily living. (P = 0.001). Psychiatric co-morbidity is common in CKD patients on hemodialysis. Quality of life is lower compared to the general population. There is a negative impact of psychiatric co-morbidity on quality of life and activities of daily living.

Factors associated with COVID appropriate behavior and vaccine acceptability – A community-based cross-sectional study among slum dwellers

Background/objectivesTo combat the pandemic, the World Health Organization promoted COVID appropriate behaviors as well as vaccination. This study assessed the uptake of such behaviours as well as vaccine acceptance/hesitancy among slum dwellers during the pandemic. MethodsOf a total of 27 slums in Udupi taluk, six were randomly selected in this cross-sectional study. Following informed consent, data collection was carried out between February–October 2022. Tools included a sociodemographic proforma, COVID-19 appropriate behaviour tool and vaccine acceptability/hesitancy tool developed by Kumari et al. Using convenience sampling, 387 adult participants from slum settings were included. ResultsThe mean age of the participants was 42.74 ± 1.58 years and female participants accounted for 48.1%. About 49.1% participants were educated up to the primary level and 80.9% were unskilled workers. Regarding behaviors, wearing a mask in public was most frequently followed (68.2%) followed by maintaining physical distancing in public (30%). A total of 346 i.e., 89.4% had taken at least one dose and 305 (78.8%) participants had received both doses of COVID-19 vaccine. The fear of income reduction and job loss (65%) predominated which was significantly associated at p < 0.0001 and their socio-economic status was associated with vaccination uptake at p = 0.046. An important driver for vaccine uptake was the intervention of the ASHA. ConclusionsOverall, we found vaccine acceptance was high with several drivers leading to vaccine uptake. The trust in the healthcare workers, particularly ASHA, was an important finding of the study highlighting the effectiveness of the work undertaken by them.

Nigerian prisoners’ experience: prison circumstances, family support and sleep quality

PurposeThis study aims to determine the association between prison circumstances, perceived family support and sleep quality among male inmates at the Ibara prison, Ogun State.Design/methodology/approachIt was a cross-sectional study of 300 male inmates interviewed with socio-demographic proforma and Pittsburgh sleep quality index.FindingsWhile all respondents described the prison as being overcrowded, half of them used inappropriate sleeping materials daily and 41.4% decried a very noisy environment at night. Twenty-seven percent of the respondents described poor family support while 47.3% experienced poor sleep quality. Though nature of sleeping material and self-awareness of sleep problem were associated with poor sleep quality, no predictor of the latter was identified.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was conducted among males only because of the relative dominance of the male gender in the prison population. This makes analysis of gender difference impossible. Furthermore, sleep studies may be preferred over reports by some sleep experts.Practical implicationsFindings from this study may culminate in taking steps to improve the Nigerian prison conditions as well as the prisoner’s welfare.Social implicationsDeveloping support group for relatives of inmates may be a focus of social intervention for these inmates. Also, inmates with good sleep quality are likely to partake effectively in the prison reformation programmes and may not self-medicate with sedatives.Originality/valueThis study provides a scholarly documentation of the state of Nigerian prisons; inmates’ perception of family support; prevalence and correlates of poor sleep quality among a group of male inmates.

Effectiveness of Organized Teaching Program on awareness regarding substance abuse among students

Background: Substance use among college students is associated with numerous negative outcomes including lower academic performance, a higher probability of un-employment after graduation, and increased risk of committing and experiencing sexual assault6.Worldwide, more than a quarter of all people aged 15-19 years are current drinkers, amounting to 155 million adolescents aged 15-19 years was 13.6% in 2016, with males most at risk. Objective: Evaluate the effectiveness of organized teaching programme on awareness regarding substance abuse among students in selected colleges. Methodology: A pre-experimental study was conducted among adolescents in selected colleges, Kochi. Sixty samples were selected by convenient sampling technique. Tools were prepared to collect sociodemographic proforma and a semi-structured questionnaire was prepared to evaluate the awareness on substance abuse. Result: the study revealed that out of 60 samples 36 respondents (60%) have average awareness score, 3 (5%) gained good awareness score and 21(35%) had poor awareness score. The sociodemographic variables such as age and gender were significantly influencing the awareness regarding substance abuse and the organized teaching program is found to be effective in creating awareness among students. Conclusion: Majority of the participants were not aware about substance abuse and organized teaching program helps to create awareness among the participants

Effect of supported sitting position during second stage of labor on its outcome in primigravidae: A quasi-experimental study.

The childbirth position has a significant influence on labor, maternal comfort, and neonatal outcome. In sitting position, there is a faster fetal descent with the effect of gravity. The information on this subject is relatively scant. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effect of a supported sitting position during second stage of labor on its outcome in primigravidae. A quasi-experimental study with a post-test only control group design was used. 60 primigravidae were selected using total enumerative sampling. The labor outcome was assessed by self-structured maternal neonatal outcome checklist and socio-demographic proforma. Statistically significant difference was observed on the mean duration of second stage of labor among primigravidae in control and experimental group (t = 5.87, P < 0.001) and also in the APGAR score of newborns (t = -3.98, P < 0.001). A statistical significant association of duration of second stage of labor with height and intensity of maternal work was also observed. A supported sitting position during labor was found to be effective in reducing duration of the second stage of labor. This can be used as a nursing intervention while providing care during labor especially at primary healthcare centers that can help in reducing the duration of second stage of labor.

Stress and Coping of Parents with Children Seeking Treatment from a Tertiary Care Mental Health Institute

Abstract Background: Parenting a child with special needs puts very high demands making it difficult to cope, and parents perceive stress which often results in lack of experiencing the joy of parenting. The negative psychological effects of having a child with disability emerged in the result of many studies. Aims: The study aimed to assess the stress and coping of parents with children seeking treatment from a tertiary care mental health. Objectives: The study objectives were to assess the stress, ways of coping of parents seeking treatment from tertiary care mental institute. To find out the association of stress, ways of coping of parents with selected demographic variables and to determine the correlation between stress and coping of parents. Materials and Methods: A quantitative approach and descriptive research design were adopted for this study. A total of 100 parents of children seeking treatment from child and adolescent clinic of tertiary care mental health institute, Tezpur, Assam. Study subjects were selected using a purposive sampling technique. Socio-demographic pro forma, parental stress scale, and ways of coping (revised) were used for data collection after ethical clearance and written permission from concerned authorities. Results: In parental stress, the mean score for the participants was 45.72 ± 8.25. Regarding the way of coping frequently used by the participants, 36% of participants had used positive reappraisal coping followed by multiple (two or more). Coping measures were used by 25% of participants and planful problem-solving by 20% of participants. There was no significant association found between parental stress and selected sociodemographic variables. Results showed a significant association between gender and ways of coping used by the participants in the coping strategy of distancing (x 2 = 3.910, P = 0.048), accepting responsibility (x 2 = 4.254, P = 0.039), and positive reappraisal (x 2 = 10.364, P = 0.001). The significant association was found between planful problem-solving coping strategy and educational level of participants (x 2 = 8.046, P = 0.005), birth order of the child seeking treatment (x 2 = 4.557, Fisher’s exact test = 0.043). Furthermore, the coping strategy, positive reappraisal was found significantly associated with age (x 2 = 7.658, P = 0.006), gender (x 2 = 10.364, P = 0.001), and occupation ((x 2 = 5.396, P = 0.020) of participants. The result showed that there was no significant correlation between parental stress and ways of coping of parents of children seeking treatment from the child and adolescent clinic of a tertiary care mental institute. Conclusion: Our findings help to appreciate the many coping mechanisms that parents employ while caring for their children who have mental illness as well as parental stress. Effective intervention programs can be designed to educate parents and assist them in managing their stress by understanding various coping mechanisms, and how they affect parental stress. In a nation with little resources, psychiatric nurses and mental health professionals can mobilize resources that are sensitive to cultural differences and address the issue associated with parental stress and coping.

The Influence of Smartphone Use on Psychological Distress in University Undergraduates

Background: Smartphone use has been shown to have effects on psychological health outcomes. There is evidence that the psychological effects of smartphones on young people are significant. It is associated with anxiety, depression, and psychological distress in various populations. The tendency to spend cumulatively long durations exposed to smartphones is an emerging phenomenon among university undergraduates. This study aimed at determining the relationship between smartphone use and psychological distress in university undergraduates. Methods: Data for this cross-sectional study were collected from 3,325 undergraduates of the University of Ilorin, Nigeria in September 2021 using a Sociodemographic proforma, Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short version, and psychological distress was measured using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12). Data were analyzed using SPSS 23. Results: The mean age of respondents was 21.3+2.59 years, and 1835 (55.2%) of them were females. In addition, 3305 (99.4%) owned smartphones, and 720 (21.7%) had more than one smartphone. Psychological distress was present in 1097 smartphone users (33.2%). The level of study (P=0.002), presence of problematic smartphone use (PSU, P&lt;0.001), total time spent on the phone per day (P=0.014), and the time spent on social media per day (P&lt;0.001), as well as leaving the phone data on all day (P=0.001) and engaging in overnight calls or social media chats (P&lt;0.026), Facebook (P=0.001), WeChat (P=0.001), and Snapchat (P=0.001), were significantly associated with psychological distress. Independent predictors of psychological distress were being in year 5 (OR=0.548, P=0.008), presence of PSU (OR=1.586, P&lt;0.001), switching on phone data throughout the day (OR=1.388, P&lt;0.001), and use of WeChat (OR=1.451, P&lt;0.027) and Facebook (OR=0.703, P&lt;0.001). Conclusion: Our findings revealed that important smartphone-related indices such as PSU, switching on phone data access all day, and WeChat were predictive of increased levels of psychological distress. Structured counselling about the productive use of smartphones should be administered in the early years of study for university undergraduates.

Treatment burden, not health risk attitude associated with adherence in patients with mental illness in South India

Background: Attitude towards health risks and treatment burden may mediate treatment adherence in therapeutic care. There is a paucity of study examining the levels and relationships of these variables in patients with mental illness. Objective: This study was conducted to know the relationships of health risk attitude & treatment burden and medication adherence in patients with mental illness. Settings and design: Cross-sectional, Hospital-based study. Methods and material: One hundred seventy consecutive participants in remission of mental illness were recruited. The patient's details were assessed with Sociodemographic proforma while attitude towards health risk was assessed with Health-Risk Attitude Scale (HRAS). To evaluate the burden of treatment, the Treatment Burden Questionnaire (TBQ) was used while medication adherence was rated with the Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS). Statistical analysis used: Descriptive statistics, KruskaleWallis H, Linear regression analysis. Results: Mean score on MARS was 4.9 (SD ± 1.7) while HRAS and TBQ were 62.2 (SD ± 8.6) and 44.2 (SD ± 23). On linear regression analysis scores of TBQ were statistically significant positively linked to HRAS score (R2 ¼ .35, df ¼ 1, F ¼ 94.2, p ¼ 0.001), While Scores on MARS were statistically significant negatively linked TBQ and HRAS score (R2 ¼ .53, df ¼ 2, F ¼ 97.1, p ¼ 001). Conclusions: Health risk aversion and treatment burden may upraise in mentally ill, and linked to poor medication adherence.

Health-related quality of life and stigma in opioid dependence: Comparison between buprenorphine users and non-users.

Opioid dependence leads to reduced quality of life (QOL) and stigma. There is scarcity of literature on impact of buprenorphine on QOL of patients with opioid dependence from India. This study reports QOL and stigma in patients taking buprenorphine and compare it with those who were not on any treatment. A cross-sectional, descriptive, comparative study was conducted among three groups (n = 100 each). Group 3 comprised patients who were already taking buprenorphine for at least 3 months from a government outpatient opioid-assisted treatment center. Group 2 comprised patients who were not on any treatment but had come to enrol in buprenorphine treatment and Group 1 comprised patients who had come to get some other treatment and were not willing for buprenorphine. After fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria, sociodemographic pro forma, Hindi self-stigma scale, and World Health Organization QOL-BREF Hindi were applied. Appropriate statistical analyses were done. Patients already taking buprenorphine had significantly better QOL and it improved as the duration of treatment increased. Patients on buprenorphine treatment had significantly lesser stigma than patients not already on treatment. Stigma negatively impacted QOL in the three groups. QOL and factors affecting it should be an integral part of management of opioid dependence. Efforts should be made to enrol maximum number of patients in treatment to enhance their quality of life and reduce stigma.

Factors associated with seropositivity of Hepatitis B &amp; C: A case control study at Azad Jammu and Kashmir

OBJECTIVE: To determine the factors associated with seropositivity of hepatitis B and C at Azad Jammu and Kashmir STUDY DESIGN: Case Control study. SETTING AND DURATION: Department of Gastroenterology Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Hospital/ AK Combined Military Hospital Rawalakot, from 1s tJanuary 2021 to 30th June 2021. METHODOLOGY: This study involved 173 patients suffering from Hepatitis B or C.144 age and gender matched healthy controls was enrolled from within the hospital. Detailed socio-demographic proforma was filled by both the cases and controls which included all the relevant factors. Pearson chi-square test was applied to look for statistically significant difference in factors associated with seropositivity of hepatitis B and C among cases and controls. RESULTS: A totalof 317 participants were included in the study. 144 were healthy controls and 173 were patients suffering from hepatitis B and C. 149 (86.1%) had hepatitis C while 24 (13.9%) had hepatitis B. Mean age of the study participants were 36.95±3.19 years. Marital status, positive family history of hepatitis B and C and history of surgery or dental procedure had statistically significant relationship with seropositivity of Hepatitis B and C (p-value&lt;0.05) CONCLUSION: Individuals who were married or had anybody in family positive for hepatitis B and C were more at risk of having these infections. In this study dental procedures, surgeries and family history of these infections have highest incidence of risk factors associated with HCV &amp; HBV infections

Association of common mental disorders with pulmonary tuberculosis: A cross-sectional study

Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) and mental illness share few similar factors, for example, poverty, malnutrition, and stress. Our objective was to determine the association of TB among mentally ill patients. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care center located in rural area. All patients having respiratory symptoms were screened for TB, and the patients diagnosed with TB were taken as subjects and those who did not tested positive for TB were taken as controls. Sociodemographic proforma and Self Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20) were used as study tools. Result: Presence of pulmonary TB was treated as outcome (dependent variable) while common mental disorders (CMD) as independent variable; both were categorized as present or absent. We found statistically significant (P = 0.005) association between overall CMDs and TB (OR: 2.16, 95% CI 1.32–3.55). Conclusion: TB among mentally ill patients is very high, and we recommend that TB care and prevention services be integrated into mental health centers.

STUDY OF GENDER DIFFERENCES IN SOCIODEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS IN SCHIZOPHRENIA

Background: Studying ner aspects of gender differences in sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of schizophrenia patients can pave way for better understanding of etiology, preventive strategies, and personalized medicine whereas only few studies have been done to study the gender differences in schizophrenia in India specially in Northeast region. Objective: To examine gender related differences in sociodemographic characteristics of Schizophrenia patients. Cross sectional study Methods: in 70 Schizophrenia patients diagnosed as per ICD 10 criteria, excluding other psychiatric comorbidities (except substance use disorder) aged 18- 60yrs attending psychiatry department, of a tertiary care medical college hospital in GMCH, Guwahati with Sociodemographic proforma &amp; statistical software SPSS26 Predominance of female patients, majori Results: ty in age group 26-32 yrs., Hindu religion, rural domicile, upper lower socioeconomic background, secondary level education, unemployment for more than one month and statistically signicant difference of male: female education &amp; employment status Findings of our study mostly ma Conclusion: tched the ndings of different earlier studies. However, statistically signicant difference between male vs. female educational and employment status and predominance of rural background patients calls for further exploration.

A Descriptive Study to Assess the Knowledge and Practice regarding prevention of Covid-19 Infection among parents of 10 Years Children attending the selected OPD and Immunization Clinic of AIIMS Raipur

Background: Corona viruses are large group of viruses that causes illness in human and animals. The outbreak of novel corona virus (COVID -19) was initially noticed in a seafood market in Wuhan city in Hubei province of China in mid-December, 2019. Novel Corona virus spreading globally at very fast rate each and every individual is at risk. No treatments clinically proven to be effective yet. A global coordinated effort is needed to stop the further spread of the virus so assess the knowledge and practice regarding prevention of COVID infection among parents of under 10 years children. Method: A descriptive research design was employed among parents of children of under 10 years who are attending the selected OPDs and immunization clinic of AIIMS Raipur. The size of the sample was 263. Non probability purposive sampling technique is used. The data collection tools are socio demographic proforma, knowledge questionnaire and checklist which is validated by experts. The data is collected through online mode via goggle form. Data analysis is done by descriptive and inferential statistics. Information regarding the clinical signs of the disease, modes of transmission, protection measures against COVID-19 and satisfaction with governmental measures was collected. Results: The analysis of data regarding the objective of the research findings reveals that out of 263 parents, 213(80.98%) were have adequate knowledge, 33(12.54%) have moderately adequate knowledge and 16(6.08%) have inadequate knowledge and out of 263 parents, 193(50.57%) parents are following good practice measures, (41.82%) are following moderately good practice and 20(7.60%) are following poor practice measures regarding prevention of COVID infection. There is significant association between knowledge and practice with selected demographic variables. Conclusions: In summary, we believe that the findings reported here are important for understanding the clinical characteristics and vertical transmission potential of COVID‐19 infection in children, from the perspective of parents. The knowledge of parents about COVID‐19 in children was considered good in the case of most parents. This knowledge and practice helps with creating educational programs to increase awareness for areas that have weakness.

An Explorative Study to Assess the Suicidal Risk Amongst Infertile Patients

IntroductionThis given study was designed to qualitatively and quantitatively examine the Psychosocial – emotional consequences of infertility on female infertile patients . Suicidal risk amongst infertile patients was a incidental yet significant finding with 25 percent of the study population reporting a positive result by the MINI scale. There are very few studies conducted in the Indian context that analyses the psychosocial aspects of infertility and the impact of ART treatment on the quality of life.The finding in our study indicates that both infertility and stress associated with ART treatment contributes to psychological turmoil namely depression , anxiety, psychopathology and quality of life impairment in addition to suicidal ideation and suicidal risk.ObjectivesAimsTo assess the psychosocial impact of infertility amongst female infertile patients including suicidal risk/ suicidal ideation in the given study population.MethodsA total of 300 women attending the Obstetrics and Gynecology out patients department of a tertiary hospital in Kolkata, India were selected by simple random sampling. 100 fertile women attending the routine ante natal clinic were selected as cases and 100 infertile women seeking fertility treatment were selected as controls. 100 women didn’t follow up with the study. The following questionnaires were administered to both case and control group- BAI, BDI, SCL-90-R, SF-36, MINI and socio demographic proforma ; by trained clinic psychologist . The raw scores &amp; adjusted scores were analysed statistically by SPSS using the following tests, independent t test, chi square test and Z test.ResultsThe results of the MINI scale indicate that up to 25% of the infertile cohort suffer from suicidal risk/ suicidal ideation which is statistically significant in comparison to the control group.The other psychosocial parameters are also statistically significant in the case in comparison to the control population.Conclusions Although the psychosocial impact of infertility has been well researched and documented. Few studies have been conducted globally which assess suicidal risk amongst infertile patients. Our results corroborate earlier studies such as the Danish administrative population-based registry study by Trille Kristina Kjaer et al which found a causative link between infertility and suicidal risk.Further research is needed in this directionDisclosure of InterestNone Declared

Parental Supervision and Its Relation With Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Secondary School Children.

Background Emotional and behavioral problems of children are a common concern for parents and mental health stakeholders alike. Poor parenting is a well-known factor associated with behavioral problems in children. There is unanimity regarding thecorrelation between parental supervision and emotional and behavioral problems. This present study aimed to establish a relationship between parental supervision and emotional and behavioral problems, as it could make way for further research based on the concept of parental supervision, which parents can quickly adopt as an intervention strategy for children with behavioral and emotional problems. Aim We aim to assess parental supervision and its relation with emotional and behavioral problems in secondary school children. Method This is a community-based cross-sectional observational study among 770 parents of children from schools in Dibrugarh, Assam, over a period of one year.Multistage random sampling was applied to obtain the sample size. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was used to assess children's emotional and behavioral problems, the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) was used to assess parental supervision, and sociodemographic proforma was used to study various demographic variables.The observed data were analyzed usingthe computer program Statistical Package for the Social Sciences for Macintoshversion 24.0 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY, USA). Results The study revealed that participants' poor supervision had a positive correlation with emotional and behavioral problems. Poor monitoring/supervision had a positive correlation with total difficulty score levels, and positive parenting practices such as involvement and positive parenting had a negative correlation with emotional and behavioral problems. There was a statistically significant association between behavioral problems and selected demographic variables such as parents' education, socioeconomic status, and family type.The study also found that there was a significantstatistical association between sociodemographic variables such as age and negative parenting practices such as poor monitoring/supervision, inconsistent discipline, and corporal punishment. Conclusion It was found that factors such asinconsistent discipline and poor supervision had a significant impact on emotional and behavioral problems in children. In future monitoring research, one can adopt a constructional approach, where the goal should be to explain and distinguish good parental supervision behaviors from poor supervision. This knowledge can be used to develop good intervention strategies to halt such emotional and behavioral problems.

A Comparative Study to Assess the Resilience and Perceived Social Support among Patients with Substance Use Disorder in Relapse and Abstinence in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Sonitpur (Assam)

Understanding resilience and social support among individuals with substance use disorder on abstinence as well as relapse will helps promote long-term abstinence and enhance the recovery. Studies have shown that adequate social support and high level of resilience help an individual to use positive emotions to leave behind bad experience and strengthen one' s self-esteem and to overcome negative emotions and thus preventing relapse. As substance use disorder disrupts a person' s self-control and self-efficacy leading to relapse. It is important for the family members as well as health care professionals to provide social support that can increase the resilience and self-esteem and further decreasing the relapse rate. The study aims to compare the resilience and perceived social support among patients with substance use disorder in relapse and abstinence. Quantitative research approach with comparative research design was adopted. The population were the patients with relapse admitted at indoor, DAM and patients in abstinence with substance use disorder attending DAM, OPD of a tertiary care hospital. The sample consisted of 40 participants as per Krejcie and Morgan sample estimation formula who are selected by using purposive sampling technique. The data was collected by using socio demographic proforma, clinical variables, Conner and Davidson Resilience scale and Multidimensional perceived social support scale. The results showed no significant difference between the two groups i.e Relapse and abstinence in the context of Perceived Social support and Resilience respectively (t=-1.611, p=0.115) (t=-0.309, p=0.759). This study may be a suggestive of developing psychosocial intervention module to promote social support and resilience and to decreases the risk of relapse.

Somatoform disorders and expressed emotions in the family: Results from a cross-sectional observational study to evaluate a novel relationship

Background: Expressed emotions (EEs) in the family affect the presentation and course of psychiatric disorders. Somatoform disorders with their psychosocial origins may be caused or perpetuated by family dynamics like EEs. Aims: The study aimed to assess the prevalence, type, and levels of EEs in the families of patients with somatoform disorders. Methods: One hundred and six adult patients with somatoform disorders (F45; ICD-10) and their family member were recruited for the study. Patients with any comorbid medical or psychiatric disorder and substance use disorders (except tobacco dependence) or subjects living alone were excluded from the study. The study participants were assessed for somatoform disorders and EEs using a sociodemographic proforma, Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview structured interview, Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15), Family Emotional Involvement and Criticism Scale, and perceived criticism measure (PCM). Final analysis was done using statistical tests including Chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, Student’s t-test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and univariate and multiple regression analysis. P ≤ 0.05 was considered to denote statistical significance. Results: The most common somatoform disorder in the sample was somatization disorder (33%) followed by persistent somatoform pain disorder (18.87%) and undifferentiated somatoform disorder (15.09%). Age (P = 0.007), married status (c2 = 6.752, P = 0.034), and a diagnosis of hypochondriacal disorder and somatization disorder (c2 = 14.613, P = 0.023) were significantly associated with perceived criticism (P < 0.05), while emotional overinvolvement (EOI) was high in subjects with somatoform autonomic dysfunction disorder (21.75) (P < 0.05). Significant positive correlation was seen between PCM and PHQ15 (severity measure) scores (r = 0.209; P = 0.032). Conclusions: Moderate level of EEs were found in the families of patients with somatoform disorders with the association being significant for criticism in hypochondriacal and somatization disorders and for EOI in somatoform autonomic dysfunction disorders. The hypothesis needs further study with follow-up and stronger statistical models to establish causation.

The pattern of smartphone usage, smartphone addiction, and associated subjective health problems associated with smartphone use among undergraduate nursing students.

The usage of smartphones has become common among adolescents, despite knowing the health-related problems of the user. Currently, the availability of electronic gadgets has become economical and this has an impact on society, especially on the behavior of adolescents. A cross-sectional survey design was used to find the pattern of smartphone usage, smartphone addiction, and subjective health problems associated with smartphone usage. The data were obtained from 270 nursing students using the convenient sampling technique using a sociodemographic proforma, semi-structured questionnaire on the pattern of smartphone usage, Smartphone Addiction Scale, self-reported subjective health problems questionnaire, and study habits scale. Descriptive and inferential statistics was used for the analysis using SPSS 16.0. The study findings revealed that most of the participants 243 (90.0%) were using 4G phones. The majority 88 (32.60%) of the participants were using a smartphone for less than 2 hours at a stretch in a day. Most uses of a smartphone were in the night 155 (57.40%). The main usage of a smartphone was for entertainment purposes 213 (78.90%). Most of the participants 196 (72.6%) were moderately addicted to smartphones. One-third 109 (40.2%) of the participants complained of headache, followed by straining of the eyes 83 (30.6%). The awareness of smartphone addiction and health-related problems associated with smartphone usage has been shown to decrease its impact. The study concluded that it is very much necessary to identify the pattern of smartphone usage, to prevent the consequences of addiction and health problems associated with smartphone usage.

Prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in elderly hospitalized patients

Background: Improved healthcare extends life expectancy, but social and economic issues including poverty, family breakdown, and insufficient help for the elderly put people's mental health in danger. Because of feelings of loneliness and natural age-related decline in physiological and physical performance, the elderly are more prone to psychological disorders. With this aim in mind, the study of the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity in elderly hospitalized patients was taken up. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was carried out in a tertiary hospital in Pune on 200 hospitalized patients of 65 years of age and more from July 2019 to July 2021. Subjects with known psychiatric disorders were excluded. Subjects were evaluated with a sociodemographic proforma, mini-international neuropsychiatric interview (MINI), depression anxiety stress scale-21 (DASS-21), and the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS). Results: A total of 35.5% of elderly subjects admitted to non-psychiatric wards were found to be suffering from psychiatric disorders, most commonly major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorders (GADs), and social anxiety disorders. On DASS-21, 55.5% of patients had stress, 24% anxiety, and 15.5% had depression. On the MSPSS scale, 53% had a high level of support. A mean score of 5.94 was obtained for family support, 5.413 for support from friends, and 3.486 for support from significant others. Males received higher support. Conclusion: We found that elderly patients admitted in non-psychiatric wards had psychiatric disorders. The most common psychiatric disorders were GAD (16.5%) and major depressive disorder (15%). It is more beneficial when physicians/surgeons also screen or refer their elderly patients to their psychiatrist colleagues to help alleviate their suffering to the extent possible.

Stressors and coping strategies among frontline nurses during COVID-19 pandemic.

Frontline nurses are more likely to be in close contact with COVID-19 patients and COVID ward duties make nurses to undergo serious emotional disturbances. The physical, psychological, and social well-being of the nurses can be affected in this time and proper training programs and counseling sessions should be undertaken. This study attempts to understand the stressors and coping strategies of nurses from a tertiary hospital. Descriptive survey design was adopted and data were collected in 2021 from 92 frontline nurses from a selected tertiary hospital in Raipur. The data collection tools used were sociodemographic proforma, structured questionnaire on stress factors, and structured checklist on coping strategies. The analysis was done using frequency and percentage distribution. Among the nurses, 51% reported stressors related work- and work-related environment, 50% reported stressors related to self-safety, and 52% on stressors related to family concerns. The coping strategies adopted by the nurses included realization of the fact that service to patients comes as first (75%), and availability of personal protective equipment kits, confidence in following strict protective measures (69%), talking to family members over phone daily (71%), and support from family and friends (70%). Learning about COVID-19 (65%), and team work (61%) also created confidence to work as frontline nurses during this pandemic. The present survey reports that nurses face various stressors and tries to impart different coping strategies to overcome the stress. Understanding their stressors and coping strategies will help the administration to implement measures to create a working situation which will strengthen the health man power resources.