Media Reporting of Suicide in the Bengaluru E-Edition of Three Major Indian Dailies: An Archival Study

India has the world’s largest newspaper market, with over 100 million copies sold daily. The media scapegoat, simplify, speculate, and sensationalize suicide?related news instead of signposting people to seek help. Suicide affects individuals, families, and communities and is worthy of responsible reporting. This study examined the quality of newspaper coverage of suicides from January to December 2017 in three popular English dailies in Bengaluru, South India. Three hundred and ninety?five online suicide reports were evaluated for compliance with the 2017 WHO recommendations for responsible suicide reporting by media professionals. The secondary data were obtained from digital newspaper archives and analyzed. Ahandful of the sampled articles met key recommendations. While reporting on suicide in the Indian media, three critical areas that require the most attention are reducing sensationalism, providing help-seeking information, and educating the public on suicide prevention without perpetuating myths.

The brand of generic prescriptions

For some time now, a debate has been raging on the issue of generic drug prescriptions. Doctors are divided on this matter. Those against generic prescription cite possible poor quality and inadequate testing; while those in favour assert that the move would make cheaper medicines accessible to many more patients. The pharmaceutical industry attempts to introduce drug molecules that are safer and perhaps more effective. To enter the market each molecule would have been subjected to rigorous experimentation, at huge cost which needs to be recovered. The services of the industry are hence to be greatly appreciated, in spite of the criticism of the high pricing of their products.

Ethical dilemmas of medically unexplained symptoms.

Medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) are common across health settings. These are defined as “physical symptoms that prompt sufferer to seek healthcare but remain unexplained after an appropriate medical evaluation”. Expectedly, MUS are often associated with significant health-seeking behaviours that add to the burden on health resources.

Objective standardized clinical assessment with feedback: Adapting the objective structured clinical examination for postgraduate psychiatry training in India.

Background: The objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is used commonly for assessment of psychiatry trainees but has been used less for teaching. Aim and Setting: This study describes the adaptation of the OSCE method for training purposes in a postgraduate psychiatry training center in India and the initial findings with regard to trainee performance. Materials and Methods : The adapted method was called the objective structured clinical assessment with feedback (OSCAF). The adaptation included several steps - modifying existing OSCE patterns for language and cultural appropriateness, using supervised roleplaying instead of standardized or simulated patients and evolving an assessment method (14-item checklist) that would generate feedback. This exercise was conducted in front of a group of multidisciplinary peers and supervisors. Statistical Analysis: Descriptive statistics and ANOVA were used. Results: Analysis of the performance based on the 14-item checklist assessing common elements of any patient-related interaction in 34 different OSCAF tasks indicated the following: less-than-satisfactory (<75%) performances in the following areas - assuring confidentiality (73.5%), assessing comfort (62%), summarizing (60%), closure (62%) and checking whether the 'patient' had understood what was being communicated (42%). Based on the nature of clinical situations, performances on some specific and difficult OSCAF situations were found to be inadequate and indicated need for further training. Conclusions: We have been able to demonstrate OSCAF to be a convenient, cost-effective training method in psychiatry, with limited demands on resources; however, further refinements in ratings and feedback methods and studies on effectiveness may enhance its utility.

Quality of life issues in caregivers of youngsters with thalassemia.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the contribution of psychiatric problems, concerns regarding the illness to Quality of Life (QOL) in caregivers. METHODS: Forty four caregivers were screened for psychiatric problems using the General Health Questionnaire 12 item version (GHQ-12) and their concerns and QOL were assessed using the Concerns Checklist and the EQ5D respectively. Clinical psychiatric interview was conducted for those qualifying for GHQ caseness and a psychiatric diagnosis was ascribed. These were correlated with the Childhood Psychopathology Measurement Schedule/ GHQ- 12 scores (as appropriate) and the EQ5D score of the youngster. RESULTS: Fifty seven percent of the caregivers had psychiatric problems, with depressive disorders in 19/44 (45%) QOL was affected in 50% (Pain/ discomfort (n =19, 45%), Mobility (n = 7, 17%), Depression and Usual activities dimensions (n= 6, 14% each). The greatest concerns were regarding the future (91%), illness (80%) and finances (73%). CONCLUSION: Caregiver support through psychological interventions or medication would alleviate psychiatric problems and concerns and contribute towards a better QOL.