The Systematic Development of a Mobile Phone Delivered Text-messaging Tobacco Cessation Intervention in India.

Introduction: Tobacco consumption is a leading cause of mortality globally. Eighty percent of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Despite this, there is a large treatment gap due to both demand and supply-side barriers.

NAMAH-An Innovative Tele-ECHO Mentoring Program to Foster Well-being Among Physicians.

Background: The current study aimed to develop and implement the National Assistance in Mental Health for Health Care Providers (NAMAH) module, which focused on wellness and building resilience for a cohort of physicians.

Methods: The NAMAH module is a 12-week tele-mentoring program leveraging videoconference technology that uses the ECHO (Extension of Community Healthcare Outcome) HUB and SPOKE and consists of real-life case discussions and a brief didactic. The module's content was developed after iterative feedback from experts and incorporated suggestions from healthcare providers (HCPs) following a needs assessment.

Treatment Needs of Patients With Severe Alcohol Use Disorders.

Background: People with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) have varied needs while they seek treatment. Understanding and focusing on the needs will improve treatment outcomes. The objective of the study is to qualitatively assess the treatment-related needs of patients with AUDs admitted to a tertiary care treatment center.

Behavioral Interventions for Tobacco Cessation in Low and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Introduction: An estimated 78% of the total deaths attributable to smoking tobacco use occurred in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) in 2019. In addition, smokeless tobacco increases the risk of all-cause mortality, all cancers including upper aero-digestive tract cancer, stomach cancer, ischaemic heart disease (IHD) and stroke; with 88% of the mortality burden being borne by the South-East Asian region. Evidence-based interventions from high income countries (HICs) are not easily transferable to LMICs, as patterns of tobacco use, health beliefs associated with tobacco use, and awareness of specific health risks vary substantially.

Digital dilemmas and existing recommendations for healthy screen time use for children and adolescents.

As technology continues to play an integral role in our daily lives, concerns regarding the appropriate and healthy use of screen time have prompted health organizations and authorities worldwide to establish guidelines and recommendations. This paper comprehensively summarizes existing recommendations and guidelines for screen time use from various countries, highlighting key similarities, differences, and emerging trends. However, there is a dire need to expand the existing repertoire of guidelines and recommendations to different age groups and strategies depending on user engagement for healthy screen time use.

Perspectives of smokers, smokeless tobacco users and cessation practitioners in India: A qualitative study.

Introduction: India is the second largest consumer of tobacco in the world and accounts for 70% of global deaths due to smokeless tobacco (SLT) use.

Aim: The aim of this study is to understand the perspectives of tobacco users (smokers and SLT users) and practitioners in India to inform cessation interventions.

Method: Semi-structured in-depth interviews with tobacco users (smoked and smokeless; n=23), and healthcare practitioners (n=13).

Adverse Childhood Experiences, Coping and Resilience in Persons with Alcohol Use Disorder and Their Non-drinking Siblings in High-density Families: A Case-control Study.

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase the odds of alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Aim: To study the ACEs, coping, and resilience in persons with AUD and their non-drinking siblings from high-density families.

Methods: The study used a case-control study design.

The Initial Epoch of Psychosurgery in India: A Retrospective Data Review from Mysore Government Mental Hospital.

Background: In the early 20 century, psychosurgery had gained worldwide popularity for treating mentally ill persons, especially in western countries. We attempt to chronicle its journey in the Mysore Government Mental Hospital (MGMH), now the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru.

Methods: Archived case records and registers of patients admitted from 1939 to 1947 were reviewed to identify those who had undergone psychosurgery.

Childhood adversities characterize the heterogeneity in the brain pattern of individuals during neurodevelopment.

Background: Several factors shape the neurodevelopmental trajectory. A key area of focus in neurodevelopmental research is to estimate the factors that have maximal influence on the brain and can tip the balance from typical to atypical development.

Methods: Utilizing a dissimilarity maximization algorithm on the dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) of the resting state functional MRI data, we classified subjects from the cVEDA neurodevelopmental cohort ( = 987, aged 6-23 years) into homogeneously patterned DMD (representing typical development in 809 subjects) and heterogeneously patterned DMD (indicative of atypical development in 178 subjects).

Rare case of chronic naphthalene ball ingestion in a young Indian woman.

Chronic oral abuse of naphthalene balls is extremely rare. It is associated with different types of metabolic toxicity, neurological deficits and multiple organ failure. However, the psychological implication of naphthalene abuse is poorly understood.

Tobacco use in people with severe mental illness: Findings from a multi-country survey of mental health institutions in South Asia.

Introduction: People with severe mental illness (SMI) tend to die early due to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, which may be linked to tobacco use. There is limited information on tobacco use in people with SMI in low- and middle-income countries where most tobacco users reside. We present novel data on tobacco use in people with SMI and their access to tobacco cessation advice in South Asia.

A descriptive study of hepatitis C in people who inject drugs.

Background Objectives: The seroprevalence of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in general population is higher than that of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in India. People who inject drugs (PWIDs) constitute a high-risk group for all blood-borne infections. Multiple behavioural surveillance surveys have provided a rich typology of HIV-infected PWIDs, but this information is missing for HCV infection.

Behavioral Activation for Comorbid Depression in People With Noncommunicable Disease in India: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial.

Background: The increasing burden of depression and noncommunicable disease (NCD) is a global challenge, especially in low- and middle-income countries, considering the resource constraints and lack of trained human resources in these settings. Effective treatment of depression in people with NCDs has the potential to enhance both the mental and physical well-being of this population. It will also result in the effective use of the available health care resources.

Mental Health Programme in India: Has the tide really turned?

Mental disorders in India form a major public health concern and the efforts to tackle these dates back to four decades, by way of the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) and its operational arm, the District Mental Health Programme (DMHP). Although the progress of NMHP (and DMHP) was relatively slower till recently, the last 4-5 years have seen rapid strides with several initiatives, including (i) expansion of DMHPs to 90 per cent of the total districts of the country, (ii) the National Mental Health Policy and (iii) strengthening the Mental Health Legislation by way of providing explicit provisions for rights of persons with mental illnesses. Among others, factors responsible for this accelerated growth include the easily accessible digital technology as well as judicial activism.

Quantification of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol in urine as a marker of cannabis abuse.

Background Objectives: Cannabis use has long been associated with celebration and hospitality, although abuse must be confirmed through testing. It has always been difficult to develop an accurate and reliable confirmatory method for the quantification of tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid (THC-COOH) that meets local requirements. The goal was to develop a rapid, cost-effective analytical technique that can handle large batches.

Relationship of personality, psychological distress, and substance use with social network characteristics of college going young adults.

Background: Causes of substance use are multifactorial. Factors such as personality, psychological distress, and the person's social ties contribute to the understanding of substance use problems of college students.

Aim: The current study aimed to investigate the association between personality traits and psychological distress with ego-centric social networks of substance-using and non-using college students.

Exploring the early history of convulsive therapies at the Mysore Government Mental Hospital (currently NIMHANS).

Objective: The paper describes the introduction, and early use of chemically and electrically induced convulsive therapies, at the Mysore Government Mental Hospital (MGMH), now the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences, Bangalore, India. Cardiazol and ammonium chloride were used at MGMH before the introduction of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The study examines the early history, clinical correlates and outcome of convulsive therapies and attempts to contextualize how local conditions influenced implementation.

Evaluation of Feasibility and Acceptability of a Text-Messaging Intervention for Tobacco Cessation in India.

Introduction: The aim of our study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a brief behavioral intervention for tobacco cessation delivered via mobile phone text messaging in India.

Aims And Methods: We conducted an uncontrolled intervention cohort study in adult current users of tobacco. The participants received intervention messages on their mobile phones for eight weeks.

A study of genetic variants, genetic risk score and DNA methylation of PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 in alcohol liver cirrhosis.

Background: Genetic and epigenetic factors are associated with the development of alcohol-associated liver disease (AALD). The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs738409 in Patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing protein (PNPLA3) and rs58542926 in Transmembrane 6 Superfamily Member 2 (TM6SF2) are strongly associated with AALD in different global populations, Hence, we analyzed the genetic risk score for these variants and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation levels of the PNPLA3 and TM6SF2 genes among cases (alcohol liver cirrhosis) and controls (heavy drinkers without cirrhosis).

Method: We studied patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) with cirrhosis (AUD-C + ve, n = 136) and without cirrhosis (AUD-C-ve, n = 107) drawn from the clinical services of St.