Exploring effective coping strategies for wives living with spouses who have alcohol dependence: Insights from focus group discussions.

Background: Alcohol dependence is a prevalent issue worldwide. The wives of persons with alcohol dependence (WPAD) often experience several psychological, physical, and social problems, and it is essential to identify their coping strategies. This study aims to explore the coping strategies employed by WPAD by conducting a focus group discussion (FGD).

Collaborative care compared to enhanced standard treatment of depression with co-morbid medical conditions among patients from rural South India: a cluster randomized controlled trial (HOPE Study).

Background: Depression is common among primary care patients in LMIC but treatments are largely ineffective. In this cluster-randomized controlled trial, we tested whether depression outcomes are different among recipients of a collaborative care model compared to enhanced standard treatment in patients with co-morbid chronic medical conditions.

Methods: We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial among participants 30 years or older seeking care at 49 primary health centers (PHCs) in rural Karnataka, diagnosed with major depressive disorder, dysthymia, generalized anxiety disorder, or panic disorder on the MINI-International Neuropsychiatric Interview plus either hypertension, diabetes, or ischemic heart disease.

The effect of mental health training on the knowledge of common mental disorders among medical officers in primary health centres in rural Karnataka.

Background: Deficits in knowledge regarding identification and treatment of common mental disorders (CMD) and stigmatizing attitudes towards CMDs exist among primary care physicians in India.

Objectives: We aimed to assess the gain in knowledge of CMDs among primary health centre (PHC) doctors, after they underwent training in the identification and treatment of CMDs, and to assess the relationship between the gain in knowledge and demographic variables. We also assessed attitudes towards depression among PHC doctors who underwent training.

Risk factors for severity of depression in participants with chronic medical conditions in rural primary health care settings in India.

Background: Depression and chronic medical disorders are strongly linked. There are limited studies addressing the correlates of the severity of depression in patients with co-morbid disorders in primary care settings. This study aimed to identify the socio-demographic and disease-specific risk factors associated with the severity of depression at baseline among patients participating in a randomized controlled trial (HOPE study).

Intimate Partner Violence among Ever-married Women Treated for Depression at a Rural Health Center in Bengaluru Urban District.

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a risk factor for depression among women. Spousal alcoholism and marital quality are associated with both depression and spousal abuse Knowledge about the factors contributing to IPV in depression will enable us to have interventions to address IPV in tandem with treating depression.

Objectives: (1) To estimate the prevalence of IPV in women treated for depression in a rural community health-care facility in Bengaluru Urban District.

Elevated levels of glutathionyl haemoglobin as an oxidative stress marker in patients with major depressive disorder.

Background & Objectives: Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD), but biomarkers to assess oxidative stress in patients with MDD have yielded ambiguous results. Glutathionyl haemoglobin (GS-Hb) has been reported as a stable and potential biomarker for oxidative stress in various clinical conditions. The objective of the study was to evaluate GS-Hb as a potential biomarker of oxidative stress in patients with MDD through its quantification and to compare the levels of GS-Hb in age- and gender-matched healthy controls.

Elevated Unconjugated Bilirubin in Schizophrenia Compared to Bipolar Affective Disorder.

Objective: The evidence linking schizophrenia and total and unconjugated bilirubin is primarily from retrospective studies. To overcome this limitation, we conducted a prospective study of total and unconjugated bilirubin levels of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia or bipolar affective disorder.

Methods: Serum total and unconjugated bilirubin levels were compared between patients diagnosed with schizophrenia (n = 50) and bipolar affective disorder (n = 43) (ICD-10 criteria) admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit of a tertiary hospital in India.

Challenges in Taking Sexual History: A Qualitative Study of Indian Postgraduate Psychiatry Trainees.

Context: In India, psychiatrist is an important point of helpseeking for sexual complaints. A detailed sexual history can go a long way in understanding sexual difficulties. In this background, there is inadequate information on the difficulties that psychiatry postgraduate trainees experience while taking a sexual history as part of a routine mental health evaluation.

Resilience in Wives of persons with Alcoholism: An Indian exploration.

Context: Mental health has currently shifted focus from "deficit" to strength-based approaches such as Resilience. Coping styles and personality factors have been well studied in Wives of persons with Alcoholism (WopA) but not Resilience. Alcohol dependence in spouse is seen as an adversity.

A Rare Case of Complicated Opioid Withdrawal in Delirium Without Convulsions.

Opioids are one of the commonly abused substances in India. Opioid withdrawal symptoms classically include severe muscle cramps, bone aches, autonomic symptoms, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, and temperature dysregulation. However, reports of cases with delirium during withdrawal are few.

Integrated Cognitive Behavioral Intervention Reduces Intimate Partner Violence Among Alcohol Dependent Men, and Improves Mental Health Outcomes in their Spouses: A Clinic Based Randomized Controlled Trial from South India.

Background And Aim: Alcohol abuse has been associated with intimate partner violence (IPV). The current study examined the effectiveness of an integrated cognitive-behavioral intervention (ICBI) in reducing intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration among alcohol dependent men, and improving mental health outcomes among their wives and children.

Methods: One hundred seventy-seven alcohol dependent male inpatients who screened positive for IPV perpetration in the last 6 months were randomly assigned to receive ICBI which addressed both the alcohol use and IPV (n=88), or TAU (TAU: treatment as usual) (n=89).

Do SADQ and AUDIT identify independent impacts of alcohol abuse - clinical and biochemical markers respectively?

Background And Objectives: We have analyzed extant data to see if Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and Severity of Alcohol Dependence Questionnaire (SADQ) assess overlapping aspects of alcoholism, and how they relate to lab measures of alcoholism.

Materials And Methods: Consecutive male patients between 20 and 50 years were recruited from varied departments of a general hospital. AUDIT and SADQ, as well as liver function tests, were part of the data obtained.

Enhanced care by community health workers in improving treatment adherence to antidepressant medication in rural women with major depression.

Background & Objectives: Depression remains largely undiagnosed in women residing in rural India and consequently many do not seek help. Moreover, among those who are diagnosed, many do not complete treatment due to high rates of attrition. This study was aimed to compare the effectiveness of enhanced care with usual care in improving treatment seeking and adherence to antidepressant medication in women with depression living in rural India.

How to teach psychiatry to medical undergraduates in India?: a model.

Psychiatry is not considered important by most medical students. But knowledge of psychiatry is essential for all doctors as psychiatric problems are prevalent in the population either as part of other physical illnesses or independently. All medical practitioners need skills in communication and forming empathy and the ability to counsel that are learnt in psychiatry.

Heart rate variability responses to standing are attenuated in drug naive depressed patients.

Depression has been linked to altered cardiac autonomic regulation. Previous studies have been inconsistent in terms of measurement of heart rate variability (HRV), selection of depressed patients with cardiac disorders and not controlling for co-morbid conditions such as substance use and anxiety disorders. The objective of this study is to compare the effect of posture on spectral measures of HRV in drug naive healthy patients with major depression with age and gender matched healthy controls.

Alcohol-dependence syndrome: Postural challenge on heart rate variability.

Background: Cardiac autonomic involvement in Alcohol-Dependence Syndrome (ADS) patients has been demonstrated using conventional autonomic tests. Resting heart rate variability (HRV) without normalization has also been reported.

Aims: To evaluate cardiac autonomic changes with postural challenge using HRV in ADS and controls while controlling for confounding factors.

Severity of alcoholism in Indian males: Correlation with age of onset and family history of alcoholism.

Background: Family History of Alcoholism and earlier Age of Onset are found to predict Severity of alcoholism. Previous Indian studies in this regard have methodological issues related to the definition of alcoholism and reliability of information obtained.

Aims: To study the relationship between the Age of onset/Family History and Severity of alcoholism.

Valproate monotherapy induced-delirium due to hyperammonemia: A report of three adult cases with different types of presentation.

One of the important adverse effects of valproate is delirium due to hyperammonemia. In this case report series, we are reporting three cases with interesting and different types of clinical presentation on valproate monotherapy. Valproate-induced delirium may be mistaken for psychosis or worsening of mania leading to improper diagnosis and poor management.