seema mehrotra | NIMHANS - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by seema mehrotra

International Journal of Wellbeing, Dec 8, 2018

Several studies have shown physical and mental health benefits associated with different schools ... more Several studies have shown physical and mental health benefits associated with different schools of meditation. However, reviews have recommended interpretation of study outcomes in the context of school specific traditional practices. In the literature, practice proficiency is often conflated with hours or years of meditation practice and it is difficult to attribute wellbeing gains directly to the proficiency of practice. We carried out two studies to examine wellbeing, practice proficiency, and duration of practice amongst Brahma Kumaris Rajayoga (BKRY) practitioners from India. In Study 1, we surveyed participants (n = 1009) to record the socio-demographics, spiritual lifestyle components, and wellbeing enhancement attributed to their spiritual practice. We developed new measures for evaluating proficiency of BKRY practice and for assessment of progress in wellbeing attributed to BKRY practice. Both measures had high internal consistency scores (alphas 0.95, 0.93). Block-wise hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that after accounting for demographic variables, BKRY practice proficiency strongly predicted progress in wellbeing, explaining over 51.6% of the total variance. In Study 2, we took three well-matched groups (n = 86) that were distinct on the basis of duration of practice (long term, short term and zero term). We examined wellbeing differences in these three groups and the extent of correlation of wellbeing with practice proficiency, progress in wellbeing and duration of practice. We conclude that meditation practice does improve wellbeing and that proficiency of practice is better correlated with most aspects of wellbeing than duration of practice but there are a few aspects of wellbeing that increase with sustained practice over a long time. We recommend that studies involving other schools of spiritual/religious practice incorporate tradition-specific proficiency assessment (instead of using years of practice as a proxy) and also use the Progress in Wellbeing scale for assessing practiceaided improvements in wellbeing.

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, Mar 23, 2018

The present paper aims to present a brief overview of research on emotions at the workplace, and ... more The present paper aims to present a brief overview of research on emotions at the workplace, and its relevance for mental health. Studies have been carried out linking emotions at work to various indices of well-being at work as well as to multiple health outcomes. The scope and utility of research focusing on day-today affective experiences is highlighted through studies using affective events theory as a guiding framework. There is a relative dearth of studies on emotion regulation processes at work, specifically on interpersonal regulation of emotions in work life as well as on regulation of positive emotions. Despite a boom in research on the magnitude of mental health issues at workplace and its wide-ranging implications, there is insufficient integration of research on emotions and mental health at work, with these two related strands of research evolving rather independently of each other. The overview points out areas of future research as well as implications for practice.

International Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health, Sep 22, 2017

There is an unprecedented growth in the young population worldwide and especially in India and me... more There is an unprecedented growth in the young population worldwide and especially in India and mental health of youth is an area of growing concern. The scope of convergence of the fields of positive youth development and mental health promotion among youth is becoming evident in the recent times. The paper aims to provide a brief overview of the field of PYD research in India and come up with implications for utilizing this framework for youth mental health promotion. A rapid review was carried out to examine Indian research on positive youth development and its relevance for mental health promotion through youth engagement. Two sets of key words, "Positive youth development" and "India" were jointly used as search words. The search was carried out in the month of April 2017, using EBSCO and ProQuest and MedIND as the electronic databases, with no restriction in the time-period of the published studies. A supplementary search of titles using Google search engine was done with eight Indian journals and one database for the period from 2010 till date. The search indicated significant paucity of Indian literature on positive youth development. A total of 24 articles were identified. Nine studies were retained of which six were nonintervention and three were intervention studies. The review suggests that PYD programs and PYD based mental health promotion programs are in a nascent stage in India with a dearth of published literature on the same. Implications for youth mental health promotion are highlighted.

Behavioral sciences, Mar 22, 2018

There is a dearth of published research on uptake and utility of mental health apps in India, des... more There is a dearth of published research on uptake and utility of mental health apps in India, despite a rising global trend in the application of technology in the field of mental health. We describe the development and pilot testing of a self-help intervention for depression, PUSH-D (Practice and Use Self-Help for Depression) for urban Indians. This guided self-help app, with essential and optional zone sections, was developed to provide a comprehensive coverage of therapeutic strategies drawn from cognitive behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy, supportive psychotherapy, and positive psychology. Pilot testing was carried out using a single group pre-, post-and follow-up design in 78 eligible participants. Participants were typically young adults with major depression or dysthymia and significant impairment in functioning. Almost two-thirds of the participants had never sought professional mental health help. Significant reductions in depression and improvement in the functioning and well-being were notedon standardized measures in participants completing all 10 essential zone sections. These gains were maintained at follow-up. The results were similar for partial completers, who completed fiveout of the 10 essential sections. PUSH-D is one of the first indigenously developed self-help apps for depression and it shows promise in reducing the treatment gap for depression in India.

Asian Journal of Psychiatry, Dec 1, 2014

Health care is one of the services which involve high-contact encounters. The level of involvemen... more Health care is one of the services which involve high-contact encounters. The level of involvement of the consumers as well as the service providers in the health care process is high and this is especially relevant when the focus is on mental health care. In the case of health care services, quality judgments may be attributed to the quality of clinical outcomes and/or the quality of the process of service delivery. Process-quality has been recognized as one of the important dimensions of service quality (Brady and Cronin, 2001; Marley et al., 2004) with implications for consumer satisfaction and their future intentions (Boshoff and Gray, 2004; Shemwell and Yavas, 1999). In developing countries, it has been observed that patient-satisfaction influences utilization of services and compliance with the health professionals' recommendations (McPake, 1993; Wouters, 1991). While traditionally, consumers' views have been sought on satisfaction with health services; the concept of responsiveness is currently considered important for assessing the performance of health systems. In broad terms, health system responsiveness has been defined as 'the way in which individuals are treated and the environment in which they are treated', and it encompasses 'the notion of an individual's experience of contact with the health system' (Valentine et al., 2003). 1.1. Rationale for the present study There are very few studies on user-perspectives about mental health care services which explore the perspectives of

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Jul 1, 2022

Psychological Studies, May 3, 2014

There are points of convergences between Positive Psychology and Indian Psychology. But we do hav... more There are points of convergences between Positive Psychology and Indian Psychology. But we do have to cross many barriers and travel some distance on converging pathways for the potential synergies between these fields to manifest. There are indicators in the global literature that Positive Psychology is maturing as an approach but this is yet to become very evident in the Indian research on Positive Psychology. Systematic efforts at discovering convergences between Indian Psychology and Positive Psychology can go a long way in enriching our understanding of well being.

Current Psychology

While rural ‘Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs)’ delivering primary care at the village-l... more While rural ‘Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs)’ delivering primary care at the village-level in India experience high levels of work stress and burnout, little is known about the potential of positive psychology interventions in helping them respond to stressful situations. We aim to describe a systematic approach to designing and developing a ‘character-strengths based’ coaching program for rural ASHAs to help reduce their work-stress and improve their delivery of routine primary care. The development of the coaching program involved: (1) formative work, (2) blueprint development, (3) content development, (4) content-testing, and focus groups discussions to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, specifically the coaching workshop. This was followed by thematic qualitative analysis of ASHA perspectives/feedback to inform further modifications to the workshop. Intervention development occurred over 11 months, and the final coaching material consisted...

International Journal of Indian Psychology, 2015

Background: The diagnosis of cancer can shake the equanimity of the strongest individual and the ... more Background: The diagnosis of cancer can shake the equanimity of the strongest individual and the onset of symptoms and eventual diagnosis are occasions for questions such as “Why me?”, “Why now?”, and “How did I get this illness?” Aims: The purpose of the present research on a sample of 103 recently diagnosed cancer patients was to investigate the extent of preoccupation with search for meaning, to document individual differences when one is confronted with a cancer diagnosis and to record changes if any in preoccupation during an interval of one month. Secondly to assess the role of religion/spirituality as well as social support in individual encounters with cancer by examining the effects of these two variables among individuals facing a common stressful situation. Lastly to examine relationship of search for meaning with psychological outcomes (anxiety, depression and quality of life). Results: The results indicated that individual differences did exist in the degree of preoccup...

International Journal of Indian Psychology, 2017

The available research highlights the vulnerability of the motorized two- wheeler riding youth as... more The available research highlights the vulnerability of the motorized two- wheeler riding youth as well as the importance of psychological factors in road traffic injuries. However there is scarcity of intervention programs for promotion of safe riding in youth. This study describes the preliminary field testing of an intervention program called SMART RIDERS aimed at promoting safe and respectful riding behaviors in motorised two- wheeler riding Indian youth. The SMART RIDERS program, developed through pilot surveys of two wheeler riders and pillion riders was field- tested using a controlled trial. Seventy five college-going youth formed the intervention group while 40 formed the control group. The intervention group underwent a brief interactive workshop followed by a one month application phase to popularize safe riding in their peers. The findings indicate significant positive changes in knowledge, attitudes relevant to road safety; self reported aggressive responses to frustrati...

Indian Journal of Social Psychiatry

Background: Low rates of professional help seeking for depression by youth is a well known global... more Background: Low rates of professional help seeking for depression by youth is a well known global challenge. The study aimed at examining whether there might be differences in the rates of recognition of a hypothetical problem as a mental health problem when depressive symptoms are depicted as occurring in the context of a negative life event as compared to when these symptoms are depicted as occurring without any negative life event. The relationship between recognition as a mental health problem and help-seeking inclination from mental health professionals was also examined. Methods: Three hundred college youths within 18–25 years of age range formed the sample. Two vignettes describing moderate depression were used for all the participants. These two vignettes had identical content except that one of these mentioned a negative life event preceding the onset of depression. Each of these vignettes was followed by items to elicit recognition of the problem and inclination to seek help from mental health professionals if one was experiencing a similar problem. Results: Depressive symptoms arising in the context of a negative life event were less likely to be labeled as mental health problem and also less likely to be identified as depression. Accurate recognition of the problem as a mental health problem went hand in hand with significantly higher inclination to seek help from mental health professionals, but this was evident only in the vignette describing depressive symptoms without negative life event. Conclusion: The findings have implications for further research and for designing programs to improve help seeking for depression in Indian youth.

13th ACM Web Science Conference 2021

Health is multidimensional and “there is no health without mental health”. We document ongoing te... more Health is multidimensional and “there is no health without mental health”. We document ongoing technology-enabled initiatives for enhancing mental health care in the state of Karnataka. Multi-disciplinary teams have collaborated on a set of four projects to design and deploy digital technologies across different parts of the healthcare continuum, addressing beneficiaries (patients and care-givers), different levels of mental health care providers (doctors, social workers, etc.,) and health administrators, alike. The vision is to define and develop a digital platform for mental health care and services within the state of Karnataka and scalable across India.

Cureus, 2021

Suicide is an issue of global concern. Mobile applications (apps), if found effective, could supp... more Suicide is an issue of global concern. Mobile applications (apps), if found effective, could supplement suicide prevention efforts by addressing some of the barriers to help-seeking. This study aimed to review the nature of suicide prevention apps available for Indian users using the Android platform. Apps identified were broadly reviewed on general features, inclusion of educative elements, suicide risk assessment, and strategies to manage suicidal thoughts. The search terms "suicide," "suicide prevention," and "feeling suicidal" were used to search the Google Play Store from May to December 2020, and apps exclusively focusing on suicide prevention were identified and reviewed. The initial search resulted in 492 apps, of which 43 met inclusion criteria and were further assessed. Fewer than half the apps included supplementary information to users on scientific, evidence-based content (32.55%), and only a few apps were reported to be empirically validated (11.62%). Approximately one-third of the apps intended for people at suicidal risk had an initial screening aspect (16.12%), and one-third of the apps intended for support providers had a suicide risk assessment tool (25.92%). Most apps (81.39%) included a suicide helpline number specific to the region where they were developed, but only a few (23.25%) included motivational elements to call helplines. Common therapeutic strategies suggested to manage suicidal thoughts included distraction, means restriction, environment safety, perspective-shifting strategies, and calming or soothing strategies. Several apps (39.53%) included therapeutic strategies through safety plans. For apps to be used effectively for suicide prevention, they should include evidence-based content and motivational elements to call helplines, and and clinicians need to examine app features and content before recommending them for use by patients.

Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine

Journal of Global Health, 2020

International Journal of Medicine and Public Health, 2020

Background: Low rates of professional help seeking are observed in college youth despite high pre... more Background: Low rates of professional help seeking are observed in college youth despite high prevalence of common mental health problems. Perceptions regarding social norms related to help seeking can be one of the factors that influence help seeking inclination. Aim: The present study examined perceived peer norms related to help seeking for depressive symptoms and their relationship to one's own help seeking inclination in urban Indian college youth. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was used. College youth (N=300) in a metropolitan Indian city constituted the study sample. A modified version of the General Help Seeking Questionnaire was used. This incorporated two depression vignettes; one described depressive symptoms in the context of a life event and another one depicted similar depressive symptoms without any life event. The likelihood of oneself as well as one's peers seeking help from different sources was inquired into, for both the vignettes. Results: Friends were rated as the most likely source of seeking help for depressive symptoms. Seeking help from a professional by self and by one's peers was rated as less likely when depression was preceded by a life event than when it was not. College youth rated their own likelihood of seeking professional help to be higher when they perceived their peers' likelihood of seeking professional help to be higher. Conclusion: Perceived peer norms about help seeking for depression can play an important role in influencing inclination to seek help from professional sources in college youth. Implications for designing interventions to improve help seeking in youth are highlighted.

DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), 2022

A significant proportion of the general population suffers from common mental disorders (CMD) and... more A significant proportion of the general population suffers from common mental disorders (CMD) and psychological interventions are recognized as the first line of interventions for the same. The present study explored treatment acceptability for medication and psychotherapy in persons with common mental health conditions availing outpatient services in a tertiary care setting in India. The study involved fifty participants with CMDs who were administered the Treatment Acceptability and Preference measure for psychotherapy and medication and asked to indicate their preference for psychotherapy, medication or combined treatment. Psychotherapy was seen to be more effective, appropriate, having less risks of side effects, more convenient, associated with greater willingness and had greater overall acceptability than medications. Roughly half of the participants preferred either psychotherapy alone or a combination treatment. The findings highlighted that, patients with CMDs seeking treatment in an Indian tertiary care setting rated psychotherapy as higher on acceptability than medication and indicated a preference for psychotherapy, either as a stand-alone treatment or in combination with medication.

Psychology: Volume 1, 2019

The field of positive psychology is a relatively recent addition to the research agenda of Indian... more The field of positive psychology is a relatively recent addition to the research agenda of Indian psychologists. This chapter comprehensively examines the themes pursued in this field. It begins with an overview of the Indigenous Indian thought in terms of the insights it offers for positive psychology. Research studies on meanings and sources of happiness and interventions for the promotion of well-being are analysed. Key challenges to the growth of positive psychology are identified and a general framework for research is offered. In particular, attention is drawn towards the nature of research questions, scope for cultural contributions, nuances of research designs and expansion of the methodological repertoire. As the thoughts and intentions are coloured with the hues of emotions and get reflected in language, psychologists have to be sensitive to the linguistic diversity and nuances of verbal expressions across different regions of India.

Resilience in the field of psychology has been conceptualized in multiple ways. Most commonly, th... more Resilience in the field of psychology has been conceptualized in multiple ways. Most commonly, the features used to describe the phenomenon of resilience include adaptive functioning in the context of significant threat or adversity and the underlying processes or resources that are implicated as contributing to the same. In this chapter an attempt has been made to scan the trends in resilience research in terms of relevant processes, measurements and intervention issues. Resilience emerges as a dynamic and an interactive concept and has garnered significant support and consensus in the scientific community. Also, resilience is being increasingly examined at multiple levels in psychological research. The chapter makes an attempt to touch upon the plethora of issues that have been raised regarding assessment of resilience as well as the debates surrounding interventions to enhance resilience. The Indian research on resilience is briefly reviewed and the concerns as well as future dir...

Psychological Studies, 2019

The present study aimed at exploring stakeholder perspectives on felt need, potential content, re... more The present study aimed at exploring stakeholder perspectives on felt need, potential content, receptivity and feasibility of a positive youth development program for mental health promotion in college campuses. Study objectives were attained through semi-structured interviews with 20 college faculty/administrators and five focus group discussions with 64 students across 16 colleges in a metropolitan city in South India. The need and relevance of a program for mental health promotion were endorsed by all the participants, and it was considered feasible with prior planning. Suggestions for potential content of such a program included mental health awareness, dealing with depression and anxiety, managing negative emotions, managing pressures and temptations, improving self-confidence, reflection and clarity about life goals, cultivating sense of gratitude, broadening other orientation, and time management skills. The content of intervention perceived as important by the two groups of stakeholders highlighted the broad convergences between the potential themes being considered by the researchers and the stakeholder views. Potential receptivity to the program was considered to be good though it was perceived to be influenced by the awareness about the importance of such a program. Suboptimal interest of college authority and/or students and competing academics and other programs were identified as potential challenges to program implementation. The findings are discussed with respect to implications for program development as well as for further research.