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Papers by Ravi Philip Rajkumar

Research paper thumbnail of The Relationship Between Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Health-Related Parameters and the Impact of COVID-19 on 24 Regions in India: Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

Research paper thumbnail of The association between nation-level social and economic indices and suicide rates: A pilot study

Frontiers in Sociology, Mar 31, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Cultural collectivism, intimate partner violence, and women's mental health: An analysis of data from 151 countries

Frontiers in Sociology, Mar 30, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of The relationship between national cultural dimensions, maternal anxiety and depression, and national breastfeeding rates: An analysis of data from 122 countries

Frontiers in Communication, Jan 26, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of The influence of cultural and religious factors on cross-national variations in the prevalence of chronic back and neck pain: an analysis of data from the global burden of disease 2019 study

Frontiers in pain research, May 25, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of SAPAP3, SPRED2, and obsessive-compulsive disorder: the search for fundamental phenotypes

Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, May 31, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of The Relationship Between Access to Abortion and Mental Health in Women of Childbearing Age: Analyses of Data From the Global Burden of Disease Studies

Research paper thumbnail of Beyond the Penrose Hypothesis: Examining the Association between the Availability of Psychiatric Care and National Homicide Rates in 166 Countries

The association between mental illness and violent crimes such as homicide is complex. In 1939, L... more The association between mental illness and violent crimes such as homicide is complex. In 1939, Lionel Penrose hypothesized that the availability of psychiatric hospital beds was inversely related to the prison population, presumably due to the hospitalization of potential offenders with a mental illness. Subsequent studies have found evidence for this association, but questions remain about the contributions of confounding factors. Moreover, there has been a move towards deinstitutionalization and community care of the mentally ill over the past six decades. In this study, the association between national homicide rates and three measures of the availability of psychiatric care – the numbers of psychiatrists, general hospital psychiatric beds, and psychiatric hospital beds per 100,000 population – was examined using a time-lagged correlation analysis. Associations between homicide rates and socioeconomic factors associated with crime were also examined. It was found that the availa...

Research paper thumbnail of Prior infection with intestinal coronaviruses moderates symptom severity and mortality in patients with COVID-19: a hypothesis and preliminary evidence

Med Hypotheses, 2020

The pandemic of acute respiratory illness caused by the novel betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2, officia... more The pandemic of acute respiratory illness caused by the novel betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2, officially designated COVID-19, has attained the proportions of a global health crisis. Though all nations of the world have been affected by this disease, there have been marked cross-national variations in prevalence, severity and mortality rates. Various explanations, based on demographic, social and climatic factors, have been suggested to account for this variability, but these remain unverified to date. Based on recent research findings suggesting that human enterocytes may serve as a point of entry for SARS-CoV-2, leading to intestinal viral replication, this paper puts forward the hypothesis that prior intestinal infection with coronaviruses, either symptomatic or asymptomatic, may moderate this process and minimize the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This hypothesis is supported by evidence on the gastrointestinal manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 and related infections, on the geographic...

Research paper thumbnail of The relationship between demographic, psychosocial and health-related parameters and the impact of COVID-19: a study of twenty-four Indian regions

medRxiv, 2020

Objectives: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has varied widely across nations and even in diff... more Objectives: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has varied widely across nations and even in different regions of the same nation. Some of this variability may be due to the interplay of pre-existing demographic, psychological, social and health-related factors in a given population. Methods: Data on the COVID-19 prevalence, crude mortality and case fatality rates were obtained from official government statistics for 24 regions of India. The relationship between these parameters and demographic, social, psychological and health-related indices in these states was examined using both bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results: A variety of factors - state population, sex ratio, and burden of diarrhoeal disease and ischemic heart disease - were associated with measures of the impact of COVID-19 on bivariate analyses. On multivariate analyses, prevalence and crude mortality rate were both significantly and negatively associated with the sex ratio. Conclusions: These results suggest t...

Research paper thumbnail of Psychological Consequences of Maxillofacial Trauma in the Indian Population: A Preliminary Study

Craniomaxillofacial Trauma and Reconstruction, Sep 1, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Cross-National Variations in COVID-19 Mortality: The Role of Diet, Obesity and Depression

Research paper thumbnail of The Relationship Between Pre-pandemic Measures of Religiosity and Psychological Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Secondary Analysis of Data From a Multi-Country Study

Research paper thumbnail of Selenium and Its Compounds in the Treatment of Anxiety and Related Disorders: A Scoping Review of Translational and Clinical Research

Research paper thumbnail of The Molecular Genetics of Dissociative Symptomatology: A Transdiagnostic Literature Review

Research paper thumbnail of Comorbid depression and anxiety: Integration of insights from attachment theory and cognitive neuroscience, and their implications for research and treatment

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Dec 21, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Cultural values and changes in happiness in 78 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis of data from the World Happiness Reports

Frontiers in Psychology, Feb 2, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of The Relationship between Ambient Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Pollution and Depression: An Analysis of Data from 185 Countries

Atmosphere

Several studies have identified a relationship between air pollution and depression, particularly... more Several studies have identified a relationship between air pollution and depression, particularly in relation to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure. However, the strength of this association appears to be moderated by variables such as age, gender, genetic vulnerability, physical activity, and climatic conditions, and has not been assessed at a cross-national level to date. Moreover, certain studies in this field have yielded negative results, and there are discrepancies between the results obtained in high-income countries and those from low- and middle-income countries. The current study examines cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between the incidence of depression in each country, based on Global Burden of Disease Study data, and the average national level of PM2.5 based on the World Health Organization’s database, over the past decade (2010–2019). The observed associations were adjusted for age, gender, level of physical activity, income, education, population ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Genetic Basis of Future Pharmacological Strategies for the Management of Comorbid Obesity and Depression: A Scoping Review

International Journal of Translational Medicine

Depression and obesity are highly comorbid with one another, with evidence of bidirectional causa... more Depression and obesity are highly comorbid with one another, with evidence of bidirectional causal links between each disorder and a shared biological basis. Genetic factors play a major role in influencing both the occurrence of comorbid depression and obesity, their courses, and their response to existing treatments. The current paper is a scoping review of studies that have evaluated the contribution of specific genetic variants to the comorbidity between obesity and depression. Based on a search of the PubMed and EMBASE databases, 28 studies were included in this review, covering 54 candidate genes. Positive associations were identified for 14 genetic loci (AKR1C2, APOA5, COMT, DAT1, FTO, KCNE1, MAOA, MC4R, MCHR2, NPY2R, NR3C1, Ob, PCSK9, and TAL1). Replicated findings across two or more independent samples were observed for the FTO and MC4R genes. Many of these gene products represent novel molecular targets for the pharmacological management of obesity that interact with each ...

Research paper thumbnail of Pharmacological Strategies for Suicide Prevention Based on the Social Pain Model: A Scoping Review

Psych

Suicidal behaviour is a public health problem whose magnitude is both substantial and increasing.... more Suicidal behaviour is a public health problem whose magnitude is both substantial and increasing. Since many individuals seek medical treatment following a suicide attempt, strategies aimed at reducing further attempts in this population are a valid and feasible secondary prevention approach. An evaluation of the available evidence suggests that existing treatment approaches have a limited efficacy in this setting, highlighting the need for innovative approaches to suicide prevention. Existing research on the neurobiology of social pain has highlighted the importance of this phenomenon as a risk factor for suicide, and has also yielded several attractive targets for pharmacological strategies that could reduce suicidality in patients with suicidal ideation or a recent attempt. In this paper, the evidence related to these targets is synthesized and critically evaluated. The way in which social pain is related to the “anti-suicidal” properties of recently approved treatments, such as ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Relationship Between Demographic, Socioeconomic, and Health-Related Parameters and the Impact of COVID-19 on 24 Regions in India: Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

Research paper thumbnail of The association between nation-level social and economic indices and suicide rates: A pilot study

Frontiers in Sociology, Mar 31, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Cultural collectivism, intimate partner violence, and women's mental health: An analysis of data from 151 countries

Frontiers in Sociology, Mar 30, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of The relationship between national cultural dimensions, maternal anxiety and depression, and national breastfeeding rates: An analysis of data from 122 countries

Frontiers in Communication, Jan 26, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of The influence of cultural and religious factors on cross-national variations in the prevalence of chronic back and neck pain: an analysis of data from the global burden of disease 2019 study

Frontiers in pain research, May 25, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of SAPAP3, SPRED2, and obsessive-compulsive disorder: the search for fundamental phenotypes

Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, May 31, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of The Relationship Between Access to Abortion and Mental Health in Women of Childbearing Age: Analyses of Data From the Global Burden of Disease Studies

Research paper thumbnail of Beyond the Penrose Hypothesis: Examining the Association between the Availability of Psychiatric Care and National Homicide Rates in 166 Countries

The association between mental illness and violent crimes such as homicide is complex. In 1939, L... more The association between mental illness and violent crimes such as homicide is complex. In 1939, Lionel Penrose hypothesized that the availability of psychiatric hospital beds was inversely related to the prison population, presumably due to the hospitalization of potential offenders with a mental illness. Subsequent studies have found evidence for this association, but questions remain about the contributions of confounding factors. Moreover, there has been a move towards deinstitutionalization and community care of the mentally ill over the past six decades. In this study, the association between national homicide rates and three measures of the availability of psychiatric care – the numbers of psychiatrists, general hospital psychiatric beds, and psychiatric hospital beds per 100,000 population – was examined using a time-lagged correlation analysis. Associations between homicide rates and socioeconomic factors associated with crime were also examined. It was found that the availa...

Research paper thumbnail of Prior infection with intestinal coronaviruses moderates symptom severity and mortality in patients with COVID-19: a hypothesis and preliminary evidence

Med Hypotheses, 2020

The pandemic of acute respiratory illness caused by the novel betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2, officia... more The pandemic of acute respiratory illness caused by the novel betacoronavirus SARS-CoV-2, officially designated COVID-19, has attained the proportions of a global health crisis. Though all nations of the world have been affected by this disease, there have been marked cross-national variations in prevalence, severity and mortality rates. Various explanations, based on demographic, social and climatic factors, have been suggested to account for this variability, but these remain unverified to date. Based on recent research findings suggesting that human enterocytes may serve as a point of entry for SARS-CoV-2, leading to intestinal viral replication, this paper puts forward the hypothesis that prior intestinal infection with coronaviruses, either symptomatic or asymptomatic, may moderate this process and minimize the severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This hypothesis is supported by evidence on the gastrointestinal manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 and related infections, on the geographic...

Research paper thumbnail of The relationship between demographic, psychosocial and health-related parameters and the impact of COVID-19: a study of twenty-four Indian regions

medRxiv, 2020

Objectives: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has varied widely across nations and even in diff... more Objectives: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has varied widely across nations and even in different regions of the same nation. Some of this variability may be due to the interplay of pre-existing demographic, psychological, social and health-related factors in a given population. Methods: Data on the COVID-19 prevalence, crude mortality and case fatality rates were obtained from official government statistics for 24 regions of India. The relationship between these parameters and demographic, social, psychological and health-related indices in these states was examined using both bivariate and multivariate analyses. Results: A variety of factors - state population, sex ratio, and burden of diarrhoeal disease and ischemic heart disease - were associated with measures of the impact of COVID-19 on bivariate analyses. On multivariate analyses, prevalence and crude mortality rate were both significantly and negatively associated with the sex ratio. Conclusions: These results suggest t...

Research paper thumbnail of Psychological Consequences of Maxillofacial Trauma in the Indian Population: A Preliminary Study

Craniomaxillofacial Trauma and Reconstruction, Sep 1, 2018

Research paper thumbnail of Cross-National Variations in COVID-19 Mortality: The Role of Diet, Obesity and Depression

Research paper thumbnail of The Relationship Between Pre-pandemic Measures of Religiosity and Psychological Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Secondary Analysis of Data From a Multi-Country Study

Research paper thumbnail of Selenium and Its Compounds in the Treatment of Anxiety and Related Disorders: A Scoping Review of Translational and Clinical Research

Research paper thumbnail of The Molecular Genetics of Dissociative Symptomatology: A Transdiagnostic Literature Review

Research paper thumbnail of Comorbid depression and anxiety: Integration of insights from attachment theory and cognitive neuroscience, and their implications for research and treatment

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Dec 21, 2022

Research paper thumbnail of Cultural values and changes in happiness in 78 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic: An analysis of data from the World Happiness Reports

Frontiers in Psychology, Feb 2, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of The Relationship between Ambient Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Pollution and Depression: An Analysis of Data from 185 Countries

Atmosphere

Several studies have identified a relationship between air pollution and depression, particularly... more Several studies have identified a relationship between air pollution and depression, particularly in relation to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure. However, the strength of this association appears to be moderated by variables such as age, gender, genetic vulnerability, physical activity, and climatic conditions, and has not been assessed at a cross-national level to date. Moreover, certain studies in this field have yielded negative results, and there are discrepancies between the results obtained in high-income countries and those from low- and middle-income countries. The current study examines cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between the incidence of depression in each country, based on Global Burden of Disease Study data, and the average national level of PM2.5 based on the World Health Organization’s database, over the past decade (2010–2019). The observed associations were adjusted for age, gender, level of physical activity, income, education, population ...

Research paper thumbnail of The Genetic Basis of Future Pharmacological Strategies for the Management of Comorbid Obesity and Depression: A Scoping Review

International Journal of Translational Medicine

Depression and obesity are highly comorbid with one another, with evidence of bidirectional causa... more Depression and obesity are highly comorbid with one another, with evidence of bidirectional causal links between each disorder and a shared biological basis. Genetic factors play a major role in influencing both the occurrence of comorbid depression and obesity, their courses, and their response to existing treatments. The current paper is a scoping review of studies that have evaluated the contribution of specific genetic variants to the comorbidity between obesity and depression. Based on a search of the PubMed and EMBASE databases, 28 studies were included in this review, covering 54 candidate genes. Positive associations were identified for 14 genetic loci (AKR1C2, APOA5, COMT, DAT1, FTO, KCNE1, MAOA, MC4R, MCHR2, NPY2R, NR3C1, Ob, PCSK9, and TAL1). Replicated findings across two or more independent samples were observed for the FTO and MC4R genes. Many of these gene products represent novel molecular targets for the pharmacological management of obesity that interact with each ...

Research paper thumbnail of Pharmacological Strategies for Suicide Prevention Based on the Social Pain Model: A Scoping Review

Psych

Suicidal behaviour is a public health problem whose magnitude is both substantial and increasing.... more Suicidal behaviour is a public health problem whose magnitude is both substantial and increasing. Since many individuals seek medical treatment following a suicide attempt, strategies aimed at reducing further attempts in this population are a valid and feasible secondary prevention approach. An evaluation of the available evidence suggests that existing treatment approaches have a limited efficacy in this setting, highlighting the need for innovative approaches to suicide prevention. Existing research on the neurobiology of social pain has highlighted the importance of this phenomenon as a risk factor for suicide, and has also yielded several attractive targets for pharmacological strategies that could reduce suicidality in patients with suicidal ideation or a recent attempt. In this paper, the evidence related to these targets is synthesized and critically evaluated. The way in which social pain is related to the “anti-suicidal” properties of recently approved treatments, such as ...