Rajshekhar Bipeta | Gandhi Medical College, Hyderabad (original) (raw)

Papers by Rajshekhar Bipeta

Research paper thumbnail of Is this a new journal?

Telangana Journal of Psychiatry

Research paper thumbnail of Clonal pluralization of the self and others: A case report

Indian Journal of Psychiatry

Research paper thumbnail of Mental health outcome among psychiatric patients due to COVID 19 lockdown induced disruption of access to psychiatric services: A cross-sectional study

Telangana Journal of Psychiatry

Research paper thumbnail of Perceived Stigma in Remitted Psychiatric Patients and their Caregivers and its Association with Self-Esteem, Quality of Life, and Caregiver Depression

East Asian Archives of Psychiatry, 2020

Objectives: To examine perceived stigma and its correlates in remitted patients with mental illne... more Objectives: To examine perceived stigma and its correlates in remitted patients with mental illnesses and their caregivers. Methods: In patients with mental illnesses, their perceived stigma (Perceived Devaluation Discrimination Scale), endorsed secrecy (Secrecy scale), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), functioning (Work Social Adjustment Scale), and emotional wellbeing (Well Being Index) were assessed. In caregivers, their perceived stigma towards patients (Devaluation of Consumer Scale) and families (Devaluation of Consumer Families Scale), emotional wellbeing (Well Being Index), and depressive symptoms (Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale) were assessed. Differences between diagnoses were examined using ANOVA. Correlation between perceived stigma among patients and caregivers was studied. Results: Of 152 patients with mental illnesses, 76.3% and 85.53 % reported moderate-to-high levels of perceived stigma and endorsed secrecy, respectively. Of 152 caregivers, 40.13% and 25.65% reported moderate-to-high levels of perceived stigma towards patients and families, respectively. Overall, patients had high levels of perceived stigma and endorsed secrecy, low self-esteem, moderate functional impairment, and extremely poor emotional wellbeing. There were significant differences across different diagnostic categories with respect to self-esteem, functioning, perceived stigma, secrecy, and emotional wellbeing. Patients with substance use disorders reported highest perceived stigma, lowest self-esteem, and most severe functional impairment, and their caregivers reported highest perceived stigma towards patients and families, most-reduced emotional wellbeing, and highest rates of depressive symptoms. Patients' perceived stigma was not associated with caregivers' perceived stigma. Conclusion: Perceived stigma is prevalent among patients and caregivers and affects their quality of life. The stigma associated with substance use disorder merits special attention.

Research paper thumbnail of A comparative study of bipolar affective disorder patients with and without obsessive-compulsive disorder

Archives of Mental Health, 2016

Background: There is a growing interest in the study of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in pa... more Background: There is a growing interest in the study of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in patients with bipolar affective disorder (BD). However, very few studies compared BD with OCD (BD+ OCD) and BD without OCD (pure BD). Aims: We studied the prevalence of OCD in BD patients and compared the socio-demographic and clinical features of BD patients with and without OCD. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional inpatient study on 112 treatment seeking BD patients. The symptoms were rated on Young's Mania Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. Results: The prevalence of OCD in our sample of BD patients was 33.03%. There was a statistically significant difference between the BD-OCD and BD+OCD groups as regards age (P=0.000), education (P=0.023) and socioeconomic status (P = 0.000). Also, the mean age of onset of first mood episode (P=0.002), harmful use / dependence on substance (P=0.002), suicidal attempts (P = 0.009), past his...

Research paper thumbnail of Whose journal is this anyway

Archives of Mental Health, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Mental health research is not just administering rating scales

Archives of Mental Health, 2013

This editorial is the outcome of my clinical, academic and research experience. With due respect ... more This editorial is the outcome of my clinical, academic and research experience. With due respect to all stake holders, I wish to point out that mental health research has neglected this important aspect; namely, unqualified and untrained people administering and interpreting various rating scales and other assessment instruments. In this paper, I discuss why this issue is so important, and suggest what authorities, especially journal editors could do.

Research paper thumbnail of Editorial independence in biomedical publishing

Archives of Mental Health, 2014

Unlike my other editorials published in AP J Psychol Med, the views expressed in this editorial a... more Unlike my other editorials published in AP J Psychol Med, the views expressed in this editorial are not completely my own; hence, most of the information is in quotes. I tried to summarize the published literature related to editorial independence. The sole aim is to make all the stakeholders aware of the concept of 'editorial independence'. The societies have the duty to create an atmosphere where editors feel secure. With humility I would say, to my knowledge this is the only published article on 'editorial independence' from India, and possibly other neighbouring countries. Let me sincerely say, this is not a grandiose expression. I stand to be corrected.

Research paper thumbnail of Psychosis in Wilson's disease: A rare case presentation

Archives of Mental Health, 2021

Wilson's disease is an uncommon genetic disorder, in which abnormal copper accumulation occur... more Wilson's disease is an uncommon genetic disorder, in which abnormal copper accumulation occurs in various parts of the body. Approximately 30% of patients debut with neuropsychiatric symptoms posing a diagnostic challenge in the initial phase. In this report, we present a case of a middle-aged woman with Wilson's disease who initially developed neurological symptoms such as shaking of hands and jerky movements of the head and later developed psychotic symptoms. We discuss the unique features of our case. Most patients with Wilson's disease develop psychiatric symptoms at some stage. The index case presented with psychosis, which is less commonly described compared to other psychiatric manifestations in patients with Wilson's disease. Currently, there are no treatment guidelines for the management of the same.

Research paper thumbnail of Conflict of interest declaration : why and what constitutes as responsible and ethical declaration ?

This is one among a series of editorials related to ethics in publication. The present editorial ... more This is one among a series of editorials related to ethics in publication. The present editorial deals with a key issue of the declaration of conflicts of interest (COI), which all stake holders, especially authors should be aware of. Such issues are now mandatory ethical requirements and not just for name sake. Broadly speaking, COI comes into existence when someone's position may be influenced by his vested interests. World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) says 'journals have a responsibility to raise awareness and educate the research community about COI.'

Research paper thumbnail of Plagiarism: a cause for concern

Incorrect attribution of somebody else's work or idea as one's own without adequate citat... more Incorrect attribution of somebody else's work or idea as one's own without adequate citation of the original source is called plagiarism. This is considered a serious ethical problem. Most authors do not know that this is unacceptable. Most of them, who know, are not aware what exactly constitutes plagiarism. This editorial is written with an intention to increase awareness regarding this important issue. I discussed the concept and various types of plagiarism, focussing only on biomedical research. Some suggestions on how to be at guard against plagiarism have been discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Economics of mental health : Part I-Economic consequences of neglecting mental health-an Indian perspective

Background: Mental health is not a priority area for policy makers even today. Objective: The obj... more Background: Mental health is not a priority area for policy makers even today. Objective: The objective of the present review is to sensitize policy makers regarding the importance of investing in mental health. Appraising the policy makers about the costs of mental illness and the negative economic consequences of poor investment in mental health on the society are the aims. Methodology: A review of various studies on the above subject was done using Google Scholar and PubMed. Results: Most of the studies are from World Health Organization (WHO). There is paucity of studies from the developing world. The costs of mental illnesses are high. The indirect costs are much higher than direct costs. Mental illnesses impact not only the individuals but also the family and society at large. Conclusions: The indirect costs of mental illnesses are much higher than the direct costs i.e. the negative economic consequences of not treating the mental illness is much higher than the costs of treat...

Research paper thumbnail of Duplicate/redundant publications: quality should take precedence over quantity

The ultimate purpose of research is ‘advancement of knowledge’. All other motives should be secon... more The ultimate purpose of research is ‘advancement of knowledge’. All other motives should be secondary. However, that does not seem to be the practice. There are various forms of ‘publication frauds’, one such form is duplicate/redundant publications. According to Committee On Publication Ethics (COPE), issues related to authorship and duplicate publication are the most common types of ethical problems. Duplicate publication occurs when there is partial or complete duplication of data from the same piece of work without proper declaration. The practice was always there, and is on the rise. This editorial is written with an intention to increase awareness regarding this important issue.

Research paper thumbnail of Social anxiety disorder co-morbid with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional study from India

International Journal of Medical Research and Review, 2016

Introduction: The co-morbidity of various psychiatric disorders with schizophrenia (SZ) is increa... more Introduction: The co-morbidity of various psychiatric disorders with schizophrenia (SZ) is increasingly being recognized, with anxiety disorders (ADs) being no exception. Among the various ADs, the co morbidity of social anxiety disorder (SAD) and SZ is not well studied. We hypothesized that the prevalence of SAD in SZ is high. Objective: We aimed to study the prevalence of SAD in patients with SZ, and to determine the associated socio-demographic and clinical correlates. Materials and methods: This was an outpatient study on consecutively sampled 64 International Diagnostic Criteria (ICD-10) diagnosed treatment-naive SZ patients, who were rated on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), the WHO-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5) and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF). Results: The prevalence of SAD in or sample of SZ patients was 26.56%. Compared to the SZ without SAD group, the SZ with SAD group had a lower quality of life (QoL) and GAF scores, but, no significant difference in the PANSS ratings. Conclusions: The SAD is highly co morbid with SZ, and appears to be independent of psychosis, and is associated with lower QoL and psychosocial functioning. Future followup studies should evaluate whether this SAD co-morbidity has any impact on the treatment outcome of SZ.

Research paper thumbnail of Comorbidity in Specific Learning Disorder: Issues in Assessment

Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Legal and Ethical Aspects of Mental Health Care

Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of A study to assess the quality of life of undergraduate medical students

Open Journal of Psychiatry & Allied Sciences, 2019

Background and aims: Although the quality of life (QoL) of medical students is a relatively well-... more Background and aims: Although the quality of life (QoL) of medical students is a relatively well-researched topic in the West, there is a dearth of it in developing countries like India. The aim of this study was to examine the QoL of Indian undergraduate medical students and its associations with sociodemographic and other parameters. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 349 medical students in Telangana, India. Students self-reported their QoL using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) tools. Data were collected on the individuals' characteristics, including the year of study, substance use, physical exercise, academic performance, and other parameters. Results: Male students scored better than females in several SF-36 domains and the WHOQOL-BREF psychological domain; females performed better in the social relationships domain (P=0.006). Students in the second and third year had higher scores compared to first-year students. Smoking was negatively associated with the physical component score (P=0.027). Alcohol consumption was related with a higher score in the psychological domain (P=0.049). Living with parents led to higher scores on the environmental domain (P=0.001) and mental component (P=0.048), but a lower score on the psychological domain compared to those living in the hostel (P=0.017). Students with better academic performance had better scores on all domains. Conclusion: This study indicates that medical students in the first year and females, in particular, have a lower QoL. Medical schools need to formulate tailor-made policies and ensure better conditions for interns, incoming students and female students in particular.

Research paper thumbnail of A Cross-Sectional Study of the Psychosocial Problems Following Abortion

Indian journal of psychiatry

Twenty percent of pregnant women undergo an abortion. Reviews of previous studies on the effects ... more Twenty percent of pregnant women undergo an abortion. Reviews of previous studies on the effects of abortion on mental health have been inconclusive. Little research has been carried out in this direction in our country. This study aims to study the psychological effects of abortions and the associated sociodemographic and other parameters. It is a cross-sectional study, conducted in five different government hospitals of Hyderabad. After identifying the participants, an interview was conducted. First, sociodemographic and other parameters were collected by an interviewer. Then, another interviewer conducted the interview using diagnostic tools (Impact of Events Scale-Revised [IES-R] and Goldberg Health Questionnaire-12 [GHQ-12]). Analysis was carried out using SPSS software. Sixty cases of spontaneous abortion, 31 therapeutic and 9 elective abortions, were collected. Overall, on GHQ-12, 57% women had no distress, 11% had typical distress, while 14% had more than typical distress, 1...

Research paper thumbnail of A Family Study of Consanguinity in Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Barwani, India

Journal of neurosciences in rural practice

Intellectual disability (ID) can be inherited in families through consanguineous marriage. The ID... more Intellectual disability (ID) can be inherited in families through consanguineous marriage. The ID in an individual can be associated with the ID, epilepsy, and mental illness in their parents. Such connections can be seen more closely among consanguineous marriages in tribal and nontribal population in India. This study shows a few common patterns of the consanguineous relationship in the parents of children with ID in India. This is a case series research design. Extreme or deviant case sampling was applied. Data were collected in homes, camps, and clinical settings in the Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh, India. The patterns of consanguineous marriages and the relationship between children with ID and their relatives with ID, epilepsy, and mental illness were analyzed and reported with pedigree charts. Multiple patterns of consanguineous marriages in tribal and nontribal populations were observed. ID was found to be associated in children with their relatives of the first, secon...

Research paper thumbnail of Internet addiction disorder: Hype, a myth

Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 2016

Indian Journal of Psychiatry 58(3), Jul-Sep 2016 351 her. She chose bitemporal ECT as this was th... more Indian Journal of Psychiatry 58(3), Jul-Sep 2016 351 her. She chose bitemporal ECT as this was the most effective treatment option.[3] Her urologist advised the treating team to seek information from the ISND manufacturer. According to the product information, the safety of ECT in patients with ISND had not been established. However, it stated that induced electrical current during some procedures could generate heat, especially at the lead electrode site, which can result in tissue damage. Company’s technical expert believed that ECT procedure could have minimal impact on ISND since ECT paddle/electrodes are placed at a considerable distance from the ISND. They recommended switching off the device after reducing the frequency of stimulations before each ECT procedure.

Research paper thumbnail of Is this a new journal?

Telangana Journal of Psychiatry

Research paper thumbnail of Clonal pluralization of the self and others: A case report

Indian Journal of Psychiatry

Research paper thumbnail of Mental health outcome among psychiatric patients due to COVID 19 lockdown induced disruption of access to psychiatric services: A cross-sectional study

Telangana Journal of Psychiatry

Research paper thumbnail of Perceived Stigma in Remitted Psychiatric Patients and their Caregivers and its Association with Self-Esteem, Quality of Life, and Caregiver Depression

East Asian Archives of Psychiatry, 2020

Objectives: To examine perceived stigma and its correlates in remitted patients with mental illne... more Objectives: To examine perceived stigma and its correlates in remitted patients with mental illnesses and their caregivers. Methods: In patients with mental illnesses, their perceived stigma (Perceived Devaluation Discrimination Scale), endorsed secrecy (Secrecy scale), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), functioning (Work Social Adjustment Scale), and emotional wellbeing (Well Being Index) were assessed. In caregivers, their perceived stigma towards patients (Devaluation of Consumer Scale) and families (Devaluation of Consumer Families Scale), emotional wellbeing (Well Being Index), and depressive symptoms (Centre for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale) were assessed. Differences between diagnoses were examined using ANOVA. Correlation between perceived stigma among patients and caregivers was studied. Results: Of 152 patients with mental illnesses, 76.3% and 85.53 % reported moderate-to-high levels of perceived stigma and endorsed secrecy, respectively. Of 152 caregivers, 40.13% and 25.65% reported moderate-to-high levels of perceived stigma towards patients and families, respectively. Overall, patients had high levels of perceived stigma and endorsed secrecy, low self-esteem, moderate functional impairment, and extremely poor emotional wellbeing. There were significant differences across different diagnostic categories with respect to self-esteem, functioning, perceived stigma, secrecy, and emotional wellbeing. Patients with substance use disorders reported highest perceived stigma, lowest self-esteem, and most severe functional impairment, and their caregivers reported highest perceived stigma towards patients and families, most-reduced emotional wellbeing, and highest rates of depressive symptoms. Patients' perceived stigma was not associated with caregivers' perceived stigma. Conclusion: Perceived stigma is prevalent among patients and caregivers and affects their quality of life. The stigma associated with substance use disorder merits special attention.

Research paper thumbnail of A comparative study of bipolar affective disorder patients with and without obsessive-compulsive disorder

Archives of Mental Health, 2016

Background: There is a growing interest in the study of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in pa... more Background: There is a growing interest in the study of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) in patients with bipolar affective disorder (BD). However, very few studies compared BD with OCD (BD+ OCD) and BD without OCD (pure BD). Aims: We studied the prevalence of OCD in BD patients and compared the socio-demographic and clinical features of BD patients with and without OCD. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional inpatient study on 112 treatment seeking BD patients. The symptoms were rated on Young's Mania Rating Scale, Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale. Results: The prevalence of OCD in our sample of BD patients was 33.03%. There was a statistically significant difference between the BD-OCD and BD+OCD groups as regards age (P=0.000), education (P=0.023) and socioeconomic status (P = 0.000). Also, the mean age of onset of first mood episode (P=0.002), harmful use / dependence on substance (P=0.002), suicidal attempts (P = 0.009), past his...

Research paper thumbnail of Whose journal is this anyway

Archives of Mental Health, 2014

Research paper thumbnail of Mental health research is not just administering rating scales

Archives of Mental Health, 2013

This editorial is the outcome of my clinical, academic and research experience. With due respect ... more This editorial is the outcome of my clinical, academic and research experience. With due respect to all stake holders, I wish to point out that mental health research has neglected this important aspect; namely, unqualified and untrained people administering and interpreting various rating scales and other assessment instruments. In this paper, I discuss why this issue is so important, and suggest what authorities, especially journal editors could do.

Research paper thumbnail of Editorial independence in biomedical publishing

Archives of Mental Health, 2014

Unlike my other editorials published in AP J Psychol Med, the views expressed in this editorial a... more Unlike my other editorials published in AP J Psychol Med, the views expressed in this editorial are not completely my own; hence, most of the information is in quotes. I tried to summarize the published literature related to editorial independence. The sole aim is to make all the stakeholders aware of the concept of 'editorial independence'. The societies have the duty to create an atmosphere where editors feel secure. With humility I would say, to my knowledge this is the only published article on 'editorial independence' from India, and possibly other neighbouring countries. Let me sincerely say, this is not a grandiose expression. I stand to be corrected.

Research paper thumbnail of Psychosis in Wilson's disease: A rare case presentation

Archives of Mental Health, 2021

Wilson's disease is an uncommon genetic disorder, in which abnormal copper accumulation occur... more Wilson's disease is an uncommon genetic disorder, in which abnormal copper accumulation occurs in various parts of the body. Approximately 30% of patients debut with neuropsychiatric symptoms posing a diagnostic challenge in the initial phase. In this report, we present a case of a middle-aged woman with Wilson's disease who initially developed neurological symptoms such as shaking of hands and jerky movements of the head and later developed psychotic symptoms. We discuss the unique features of our case. Most patients with Wilson's disease develop psychiatric symptoms at some stage. The index case presented with psychosis, which is less commonly described compared to other psychiatric manifestations in patients with Wilson's disease. Currently, there are no treatment guidelines for the management of the same.

Research paper thumbnail of Conflict of interest declaration : why and what constitutes as responsible and ethical declaration ?

This is one among a series of editorials related to ethics in publication. The present editorial ... more This is one among a series of editorials related to ethics in publication. The present editorial deals with a key issue of the declaration of conflicts of interest (COI), which all stake holders, especially authors should be aware of. Such issues are now mandatory ethical requirements and not just for name sake. Broadly speaking, COI comes into existence when someone's position may be influenced by his vested interests. World Association of Medical Editors (WAME) says 'journals have a responsibility to raise awareness and educate the research community about COI.'

Research paper thumbnail of Plagiarism: a cause for concern

Incorrect attribution of somebody else's work or idea as one's own without adequate citat... more Incorrect attribution of somebody else's work or idea as one's own without adequate citation of the original source is called plagiarism. This is considered a serious ethical problem. Most authors do not know that this is unacceptable. Most of them, who know, are not aware what exactly constitutes plagiarism. This editorial is written with an intention to increase awareness regarding this important issue. I discussed the concept and various types of plagiarism, focussing only on biomedical research. Some suggestions on how to be at guard against plagiarism have been discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Economics of mental health : Part I-Economic consequences of neglecting mental health-an Indian perspective

Background: Mental health is not a priority area for policy makers even today. Objective: The obj... more Background: Mental health is not a priority area for policy makers even today. Objective: The objective of the present review is to sensitize policy makers regarding the importance of investing in mental health. Appraising the policy makers about the costs of mental illness and the negative economic consequences of poor investment in mental health on the society are the aims. Methodology: A review of various studies on the above subject was done using Google Scholar and PubMed. Results: Most of the studies are from World Health Organization (WHO). There is paucity of studies from the developing world. The costs of mental illnesses are high. The indirect costs are much higher than direct costs. Mental illnesses impact not only the individuals but also the family and society at large. Conclusions: The indirect costs of mental illnesses are much higher than the direct costs i.e. the negative economic consequences of not treating the mental illness is much higher than the costs of treat...

Research paper thumbnail of Duplicate/redundant publications: quality should take precedence over quantity

The ultimate purpose of research is ‘advancement of knowledge’. All other motives should be secon... more The ultimate purpose of research is ‘advancement of knowledge’. All other motives should be secondary. However, that does not seem to be the practice. There are various forms of ‘publication frauds’, one such form is duplicate/redundant publications. According to Committee On Publication Ethics (COPE), issues related to authorship and duplicate publication are the most common types of ethical problems. Duplicate publication occurs when there is partial or complete duplication of data from the same piece of work without proper declaration. The practice was always there, and is on the rise. This editorial is written with an intention to increase awareness regarding this important issue.

Research paper thumbnail of Social anxiety disorder co-morbid with schizophrenia: a cross-sectional study from India

International Journal of Medical Research and Review, 2016

Introduction: The co-morbidity of various psychiatric disorders with schizophrenia (SZ) is increa... more Introduction: The co-morbidity of various psychiatric disorders with schizophrenia (SZ) is increasingly being recognized, with anxiety disorders (ADs) being no exception. Among the various ADs, the co morbidity of social anxiety disorder (SAD) and SZ is not well studied. We hypothesized that the prevalence of SAD in SZ is high. Objective: We aimed to study the prevalence of SAD in patients with SZ, and to determine the associated socio-demographic and clinical correlates. Materials and methods: This was an outpatient study on consecutively sampled 64 International Diagnostic Criteria (ICD-10) diagnosed treatment-naive SZ patients, who were rated on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), the WHO-5 Well-Being Index (WHO-5) and the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF). Results: The prevalence of SAD in or sample of SZ patients was 26.56%. Compared to the SZ without SAD group, the SZ with SAD group had a lower quality of life (QoL) and GAF scores, but, no significant difference in the PANSS ratings. Conclusions: The SAD is highly co morbid with SZ, and appears to be independent of psychosis, and is associated with lower QoL and psychosocial functioning. Future followup studies should evaluate whether this SAD co-morbidity has any impact on the treatment outcome of SZ.

Research paper thumbnail of Comorbidity in Specific Learning Disorder: Issues in Assessment

Journal of Neurosciences in Rural Practice, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of Legal and Ethical Aspects of Mental Health Care

Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 2019

Research paper thumbnail of A study to assess the quality of life of undergraduate medical students

Open Journal of Psychiatry & Allied Sciences, 2019

Background and aims: Although the quality of life (QoL) of medical students is a relatively well-... more Background and aims: Although the quality of life (QoL) of medical students is a relatively well-researched topic in the West, there is a dearth of it in developing countries like India. The aim of this study was to examine the QoL of Indian undergraduate medical students and its associations with sociodemographic and other parameters. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 349 medical students in Telangana, India. Students self-reported their QoL using the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF) and the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) tools. Data were collected on the individuals' characteristics, including the year of study, substance use, physical exercise, academic performance, and other parameters. Results: Male students scored better than females in several SF-36 domains and the WHOQOL-BREF psychological domain; females performed better in the social relationships domain (P=0.006). Students in the second and third year had higher scores compared to first-year students. Smoking was negatively associated with the physical component score (P=0.027). Alcohol consumption was related with a higher score in the psychological domain (P=0.049). Living with parents led to higher scores on the environmental domain (P=0.001) and mental component (P=0.048), but a lower score on the psychological domain compared to those living in the hostel (P=0.017). Students with better academic performance had better scores on all domains. Conclusion: This study indicates that medical students in the first year and females, in particular, have a lower QoL. Medical schools need to formulate tailor-made policies and ensure better conditions for interns, incoming students and female students in particular.

Research paper thumbnail of A Cross-Sectional Study of the Psychosocial Problems Following Abortion

Indian journal of psychiatry

Twenty percent of pregnant women undergo an abortion. Reviews of previous studies on the effects ... more Twenty percent of pregnant women undergo an abortion. Reviews of previous studies on the effects of abortion on mental health have been inconclusive. Little research has been carried out in this direction in our country. This study aims to study the psychological effects of abortions and the associated sociodemographic and other parameters. It is a cross-sectional study, conducted in five different government hospitals of Hyderabad. After identifying the participants, an interview was conducted. First, sociodemographic and other parameters were collected by an interviewer. Then, another interviewer conducted the interview using diagnostic tools (Impact of Events Scale-Revised [IES-R] and Goldberg Health Questionnaire-12 [GHQ-12]). Analysis was carried out using SPSS software. Sixty cases of spontaneous abortion, 31 therapeutic and 9 elective abortions, were collected. Overall, on GHQ-12, 57% women had no distress, 11% had typical distress, while 14% had more than typical distress, 1...

Research paper thumbnail of A Family Study of Consanguinity in Children with Intellectual Disabilities in Barwani, India

Journal of neurosciences in rural practice

Intellectual disability (ID) can be inherited in families through consanguineous marriage. The ID... more Intellectual disability (ID) can be inherited in families through consanguineous marriage. The ID in an individual can be associated with the ID, epilepsy, and mental illness in their parents. Such connections can be seen more closely among consanguineous marriages in tribal and nontribal population in India. This study shows a few common patterns of the consanguineous relationship in the parents of children with ID in India. This is a case series research design. Extreme or deviant case sampling was applied. Data were collected in homes, camps, and clinical settings in the Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh, India. The patterns of consanguineous marriages and the relationship between children with ID and their relatives with ID, epilepsy, and mental illness were analyzed and reported with pedigree charts. Multiple patterns of consanguineous marriages in tribal and nontribal populations were observed. ID was found to be associated in children with their relatives of the first, secon...

Research paper thumbnail of Internet addiction disorder: Hype, a myth

Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 2016

Indian Journal of Psychiatry 58(3), Jul-Sep 2016 351 her. She chose bitemporal ECT as this was th... more Indian Journal of Psychiatry 58(3), Jul-Sep 2016 351 her. She chose bitemporal ECT as this was the most effective treatment option.[3] Her urologist advised the treating team to seek information from the ISND manufacturer. According to the product information, the safety of ECT in patients with ISND had not been established. However, it stated that induced electrical current during some procedures could generate heat, especially at the lead electrode site, which can result in tissue damage. Company’s technical expert believed that ECT procedure could have minimal impact on ISND since ECT paddle/electrodes are placed at a considerable distance from the ISND. They recommended switching off the device after reducing the frequency of stimulations before each ECT procedure.