Industrial Psychiatry Journal最新文献

Background: Meta-syndromic groups with cognitive and relational impairment include both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). When it comes to individuals with intellectual difficulties, autistic traits are often unexplored unless they reach the level of the syndrome. The presence of both autism and ID increases disability percentage.

Aim: To study the presence of autistic symptoms in individuals with ID.

Materials and methods: This was a cross-sectional, observational study in which after informed consent from caretakers of patients with ID, clinical history and sociodemographic details were recorded. Further Indian Scale for Assessment of Autism (ISAA) was administered for evaluation of autistic features. Statistical analysis of the data was done using the Chi-square test and Spearman's correlation.

Results: Out of 150 subjects with ID, 18% (n = 27) were diagnosed with comorbid ASD. A statistically significant (P value = <0.001) association was found between the severity of ID (intelligence quotient, [IQ]) and the severity of autism in patients. Various domains of autism like social relation and reciprocity, speech, language, communication, emotional responsiveness, etc., showed a statistically significant correlation with IQ.

Conclusion: This study finding also highlights that lower IQ scores, i.e., severe ID have higher incidence and severity of autistic features. Improving assessment both clinically and on objective testing can help in planning rehabilitation for these patients.

Background: Work-related stress is the reaction individuals may have when faced with work expectations and forces that are not in tandem with their skill set and capacities and which frustrate their ability to cope. Coping strategies are paradigms used to limit the impact of stressful experiences, thus inhibiting the psychological and physical responses and making it more possible to maintain normal functioning at the time.

Aim: This study aims to determine how bankers cope with stress from work in Ado-Ekiti, Southwest Nigeria.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was done among three hundred and two bankers in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti state. A sociodemographic questionnaire was designed to obtain data on the sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents, while coping with work-related stress was assessed with The Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE).

Results: Two hundred and ninety-eight respondents (98.7%) used adaptive coping strategies, while four (1.3%) did not use them. One hundred and ninety-seven respondents (65.2%) used maladaptive strategies, while one hundred and five respondents (34.8%) did not cope with them. In essence, the majority of the respondents used adaptive strategies to cope with stress.

Conclusion: Most of the bankers utilized adaptive strategies in coping with work-related stress.

Background: The job of loco pilots of Indian Railways is very demanding as they are responsible for operating locomotives and ensuring the safe and timely transportation of people and goods across the vast and diverse landscape of the country. So, they are prone to various mental health issues.

Aim: To study anxiety, depression, and perceived stress among loco pilots of Indian Railways and to study their correlation with various work-related factors.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study included 53 loco pilots recruited by convenience sampling from three railway stations under the Kota Division of Indian Railways. Prior permission from the Institutional Ethical Committee was taken. After obtaining informed consent, loco pilots were evaluated on Hamilton scales for Anxiety and Depression and Perceived stress scale 10.

Results: The mean age of participants was 32.01 ± 6.15 years. They were working for an average of 61.01 ± 19.12 hours per week. The majority of them were assistant loco pilots and were operating goods trains. 26.41%, 20.76%, and 13.20% had mild, moderate, and severe anxiety, respectively. Likewise, 30.19% and 5.66% had mild and moderate depression, respectively. Also, 33.97%, 50.94%, and 15.09% of loco pilots had low, moderate, and high perceived stress, respectively. Age, working hours, and years of work experience did not correlate significantly with anxiety and depression scores. A significant positive correlation of perceived stress score was found with average working hours per week (P = 0.012).

Conclusion: The magnitude of psychiatric problems among loco pilots was found to be significant and hence needed to be addressed. Also, further exploration of factors contributing to these mental health issues is required.

Background: The prevalence of compassion fatigue (CF) and secondary traumatic stress (STS) has been studied with a predominant focus on medical care professionals, indicating a significant presence of STS and CF among them. The present study has identified a dearth in the representation of mental healthcare professionals (MHPs), grouped by psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, psychiatry nurses, and psychiatric social workers within the Indian context.

Aim: To assess the degree of CF and STS and the subsequent coping mechanisms adopted by MHPs.

Materials and methods: This study followed a cross-sectional research design. There were 75 participants selected using purposive sampling and administered scales that measured CF, STS, and coping strategies adopted by the participants.

Results: There is a strong presence of CF in MHPs along with problem-focused coping as the preliminary approach to STS. Participants with average or higher scores in STS had higher intrusion scores. Higher STS scores tend to have avoidant coping styles in comparison to the larger sample. Female participants indicated higher levels of CF and STS than their male counterparts.

Conclusion: The study emphasizes on the immediate requirement to address and manage CF levels among the MHPs and focus on the factors that continue to aggravate STS.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic affected almost all sections of society. The economy of the country collapsed and it affected the economic situation of the common man. Private shopkeepers also suffered as they could not open their shops. The current study was an effort to assess the psychological status of these people.

Aim: To assess depression, anxiety, and stress levels among private shopkeepers in Mohali after the COVID-19 pandemic who were previously mentally healthy.

Materials and methods: This observational, cross-sectional study was conducted on 500 consenting private shopkeepers from 10 different topographically scattered markets of Mohali. Written informed consent was obtained. Ethical clearance was sorted by the institutional ethics committee. Sociodemographic data were recorded on sociodemographic proforma. Depression Anxiety Stress Scale -21 (DASS-21) was employed to assess depression, anxiety, and stress. The data obtained was statistically analyzed.

Results: A total of 34.2% of shopkeepers had depression, 31.4% had anxiety, and 44.80% had stress. Out of which street vendors had more depression (6.60%), anxiety (6.80%), and stress (7.40%) compared to other shopkeepers. Depression (36.07%), anxiety (32.61%), and stress (46.87%) were comparatively more among shopkeepers who had incurred financial loss compared to those who had received gain. Shopkeepers who had their shops closed were suffering from depression (35.42%), anxiety (33.26%), and stress (46.65%) comparatively more than individuals who had their shops open. A total of 59.75%, 51.57%, and 72.96% of shopkeepers whose products expired during the pandemic were suffering from depression, anxiety, and stress respectively.

Conclusion: Depression, anxiety, and stress are high in private shopkeepers after the pandemic. Mental health services should be more accessible, affordable, and available during a pandemic and its aftermath. The economy of the country should be strengthened after the pandemic keeping in interest the economic needs of the common man.

Mental illnesses have a significant impact on the lives of people not only because of their morbidity but also because of their noticeable impact on economic wellbeing. Out-of-pocket expenditure for mental healthcare services is significant in India and may even lead to impoverishment of the families. The present paper states that Health Technology Assessment (HTA) is necessary for mental healthcare primarily because of its rising cost and competing interests in government decisions and prioritization. HTA does a systematic evaluation of the consequences of using health technology. HTA will provide information to decision makers to develop and implement safer, cost-effective, and efficient policies at the individual and government levels. Appropriate guidance regarding the cost-effectiveness of mental health interventions will help to serve the purpose of providing transparent reports in the context of limited budgets.

Background: Visual impairment (VI) profoundly impacts many aspects of life and is well documented in various cross-sectional studies. Young people's views on growing up with VI are largely unexplored in the Indian context.

Aim: This study explores a critical concept called "ableism" as they navigate through childhood and adolescence.

Materials and methods: The study used an exploratory research design, with QUAL+ QUAN methodology, where the data collection occurred almost simultaneously, and the qualitative was the dominant method. For the quantitative data collection , seventy youth with visual impairment aged 18-25 years were recruited through convenient and snowball sampling. For the qualitative data collection, 20 were selected based on purposive sampling. Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) was used with 70 participants as part of quantitative data collection. An empirically based interview guide encouraged participants' reflection on growing up with VI, including the internal and external age-normative and vision-specific challenges. The interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results: Thirty percent of the participants reported psychological distress at varying levels from mild to severe. The account of growing up with VI also centered on a theme labeled "ableism." Six subthemes representing "ableism" are 1) invasion or avoidance, 2) you achieve, and I will respect, 3) disgraceful experiences, 4) you are our inspirational meme, 5) double vulnerability, and 6) internalized ableism. Each subtheme discusses different forms of ableism experienced by young people with VI.

Conclusion: Findings are discussed in relation to the limiting attitude and structure of the society that affects the lives of young people with VI. They highlight the need to understand the nuances of ableism which helps to revisit and reflect as a society.

Background: Gastrointestinal disorders, both non-functional and functional, are prevalent among the general population, and understanding these in relation to psychological factors is crucial for clinicians to design effective management strategies. Psycho-social factors, including stressful life events, significantly impact disease outcomes and quality of life (QOL). Limited research has explored these factors in the context of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) and non-functional gastrointestinal disorders (non-FGIDs), especially in culturally diverse populations.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between QOL and stressful life events in patients with FGID and non-FGID.

Materials and methods: This study involved 200 participants diagnosed with FGID using ROME IV criteria and non-FGID clinically. The research utilized a socio-demographic questionnaire, the Psychological General Well-Being Index (QOL), and the Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale (PSLES).

Results: Among FGID patients, functional dyspepsia was the common diagnosis, while erosive gastritis was more prevalent among non-FGID patients. A significant association in QOL was observed between FGID and non-FGID (P < 0.001), with FGID patients exhibiting lower scores. Overall, a mild negative correlation was found between QOL and PSLES (r = -0.20, P = 0.003). Stressful life events contributed to 13% variance of QOL in non-FGID patients.

Conclusion: This study highlights the impact of stressful life events on QOL in both FGID and non-FGID patients. While FGID patients experienced poorer QOL, non-FGID also showed QOL reductions with recent life events. Understanding these associations can aid clinicians in comprehensive patient care, emphasizing the importance of addressing psycho-social factors alongside clinical symptoms. Cultural nuances influencing stress perception and its relation to gastrointestinal disorders merit further investigation.