Perceived stress, burnout, and resilience among healthcare workers in a multiple disaster-impacted setting during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: Current literature on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) research presents gaps and opportunities to investigate the psychological experiences of healthcare workers (HCWs) serving in mass trauma situations. We aimed to measure perceived stress, burnout, and resilience in Kashmiri HCWs and explore the relationship of burnout with sociodemographic, work-related, and pandemic-related factors.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This was a cross-sectional descriptive study.

Maternal mental health and its determinants during COVID-19, experience from Kashmir, Northern India.

Background: Since the start of the pandemic due to coronavirus 2019, stresses and anxiety have increased in all age-groups. We aimed to study the common mental disorders in pregnant and lactating females and study their fears and copings during the pandemic.

Materials And Methods: Purposive sampling was employed in our study.

Depression and diabetes: An experience from Kashmir.

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a common chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. Minimal attention has been paid toward the relationship between diabetes and depression in developing countries such as India, despite a number of studies in developed countries, exploring casual pathway between the two highly prevalent conditions. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and severity of depression among patients of diabetes attending the endocrinology department of a tertiary care hospital of Kashmir.

Testing the Effectiveness of Implementing a Model of Mental Healthcare Involving Trained Lay Health Workers in Treating Major Mental Disorders Among Youth in a Conflict-Ridden, Low-Middle Income Environment: Part II Results.

Objectives: To report the outcomes of young people (aged 14-30 years) treated for major mental disorders in a lay health worker (LHW) intervention model in a rural district of conflict-ridden Kashmir, India.

Methods: Over a 12-month follow-up, LHWs collected data on symptoms, functioning, quality of life and disability, and patients' and families' service engagement and satisfaction.

Results: Forty trained LHWs (18 males and 22 females) identified 262 individuals who met the criteria for a diagnosis of a major mental disorder, connected them with specialists for treatment initiation (within 14 days), and provided follow-up and support to patients and families.

A Model of Mental Health Care Involving Trained Lay Health Workers for Treatment of Major Mental Disorders Among Youth in a Conflict-Ridden, Low-Middle Income Environment: Part I Adaptation and Implementation.

Objectives: In low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), major mental disorders often remain untreated because of barriers related to access and resources. In rural areas and in conflict-ridden regions, the problem can be exacerbated by increased rates of mental illness and by reduced access to care. This paper describes a project designed to provide mental health services for major mental disorders among youth using a low-cost model in a rural district of the troubled Kashmir valley.

An association study of dopaminergic (DRD2) and serotoninergic (5-HT2) gene polymorphism and schizophrenia in a North Indian population.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in DRD2 and 5-HT2 receptor genes are associated with schizophrenia in North Indian population. Four hundred forty-three patients who met ICD10-DCR criteria for schizophrenia were enrolled from six participating centers along with 443 genetically related healthy subjects and 150 genetically unrelated healthy participants. A total of 7 gene polymorphisms from DRD2 (rs1800497, rs1079597, rs1800498, rs1801028) and 5-HT2 A (rs6313, rs6311, rs6305) were genotyped for their association with schizophrenia.

Telepsychiatry clinical decision support system used by non-psychiatrists in remote areas: Validity & reliabilityof diagnostic module.

Background & Objectives: A knowledge-based, logically-linked online telepsychiatric decision support system for diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders was developed and validated. We evaluated diagnostic accuracy and reliability of the application at remote sites when used by non-psychiatrists who underwent a brief training in its use through video-conferencing.

Methods: The study was conducted at a nodal telepsychiatry centre, and three geographically remote peripheral centres.

Pattern of dermatoses in two groups of admitted psychiatric patients: a cross-sectional study from a tertiary care hospital in Kashmir.

Background: Various specific and non-specific dermatological manifestations can be found in patients with psychiatric ailments. Most studies in this regard have been conducted on an outpatient basis and not much work has been done on patients admitted with psychiatric diseases.

Methods: This cross-sectional hospital-based study involved two groups of admitted psychiatric patients over a period of 1 year, involving 100 patients in each group.

Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome among Psychiatric Inpatients: A Hospital Based Study from Kashmir.

Introduction: Over the last fifty years there has been dramatic change in the human environment, behaviours and way-of-life. These changes have resulted in escalating rates of metabolic syndrome not only in general population but also among people with mental illness. Various factors, like the lack of exercise, use of psychotropic medications and inadequate medical care leads to the increased risk of metabolic changes among people with mental illness.

Psychiatric Co-morbidity in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome at a Tertiary Care Center in Northern India.

Background/aims: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic psycho-physiological disorder. It is considered to be the most common functional gastrointestinal disorder, and about 50-90% of IBS patients have associated psychiatric co-morbidity. We aimed to study psychiatric co-morbidities in patients with IBS visiting a tertiary care center.

Identification of genetic correlates of response to Risperidone: Findings of a multicentric schizophrenia study from India.

Risperidone is most commonly used as an antipsychotic in India for treatment of schizophrenia. However, the response to treatment with risperidone is affected by many factors, genetic factors being one of them. So, we attempted to evaluate the association between dopamine D2 (DRD2) receptor, serotonergic (5HT2A) receptor and CYP2D6 gene polymorphisms and response to treatment with risperidone in persons with schizophrenia from North India.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Presenting as Neurological Emergency.

Chronic epilepsy is leading to behavioral changes including obsessive-compulsive symptoms has been well-studied and shown to be about 22%, but the converse has not been reported. Here, we present a case discussion of a 45-year-old female, who presented with recurrent seizures with hyponatremia, which latter was ascribed to her undiagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). This patient later did well on anti-obsessional treatment without any antiepileptic.

Role of lamotrigine augmentation in treatment-resistant obsessive compulsive disorder: a retrospective case review from South Asia.

Background: Resistance to pharmacotherapy is one of the major challenges in the management of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). OCD being a quite prevalent disorder, this resistance adds to the disability. Different strategies are being employed to counter this resistance, one of them being augmentation with glutamatergic modulators.

Diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance in patients with schizophrenia, before and after antipsychotic treatment.

Background: Treatment with antipsychotics increases the risk of developing diabetes in patients of schizophrenia but this diabetogenic potential of different antipsychotics seems to be different. Moreover, there may be an independent link between schizophrenia and diabetes. So we plan to study the prevalence of glucose dysregulation in patients of schizophrenia before and after treatment with various antipsychotics.

Serotonin transporter gene polymorphism and psychiatric disorders: is there a link?

Though still in infancy, the field of psychiatric genetics holds great potential to contribute to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic options to treat these disorders. Among a large number of existing neurotransmitter systems, the serotonin system dysfunction has been implicated in many psychiatric disorders and therapeutic efficacy of many drugs is also thought to be based on modulation of serotonin. Serotonin transporter gene polymorphism is one of the most extensively studied polymorphisms in psychiatric behavioral genetics.

Association between serotonin transporter gene promoter-region polymorphism and 4- and 12-week treatment response to sertraline in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Background: We examined the association between serotonin transporter (5HTTLPR) genotype (SS vs SL vs LL) and sertraline treatment outcome in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Methods: Outpatients (n=330) with PTSD underwent 5HTTLPR genotyping. All patients received sertraline (100 mg/day) for 12 weeks.

Efficacy of ECT in chronic, severe, antidepressant- and CBT-refractory PTSD: an open, prospective study.

Background: Treatment options are limited in patients with severe, chronic, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There is little information on the use of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for PTSD.

Methods: Between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2005, all consenting adults (n=20) with severe, chronic, extensively antidepressant-refractory PTSD were prospectively treated with a fixed course of 6 bilateral ECT treatments administered on an outpatient basis at a twice-weekly frequency.

Serotonin transporter gene polymorphism and treatment response to serotonin reuptake inhibitor (escitalopram) in depression: An open pilot study.

Background: Blocking of the serotonin transporter is the main mechanism of action of SSRIs; therefore, the gene encoding this protein is a strong candidate for a possible genetic influence on the treatment response.

Aim: To evaluate relationship between serotonin transporter gene promoter region polymorphism and the efficacy of SSRI (escitalopram) treatment in depression.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-seven consecutive patients with unipolar depressive episode (DSM IV criteria) were genotyped for the SERT gene polymorphism and treated with escitalopram 20 mg/day.

A study on p53 gene alterations in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and their correlation to common dietary risk factors among population of the Kashmir valley.

Aim: To systematically examine the extent of correlation of risk factors, such as age, consumed dietary habit and familial predisposition with somatic Tp53 molecular lesion causal to elevate carcinogenesis severity of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) among the Kashmiri population of Northern India.

Methods: All cases (n = 51) and controls (n = 150) were permanent residents of the Kashmir valley. Genetic alterations were determined in exons 5-8 of Tp53 tumor suppressor gene among 45 ESCC cases histologically confirmed by PCR-SSCP analysis.