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Introduction: During the current pandemic, threat perception of people during lockdown, any subsequent change in their behaviour , coping mechanisms along with lockdown compliance used to deal with the crisis in the Indian subcontinent have been important. The study aims to explore prevalence of perceived threat, behaviour change, lockdown compliance, and coping strategies amid COVID-19 outbreak in India. Methodology: This cross-sectional study used a semi-structured online questionnaire. Study applied non- probability snowball sampling technique for data collection. The survey questionnaire included four sections on (a) socio-demographic variables (b) perceived threat (c) lockdown compliance and behaviour change (d) coping strategies. Descriptive statistical analysis was done for the evaluation of data. Results: The responses of 1068 participants with a mean age of 32.92±12.88 years were included for analysis. Nearly half (51%) of the participants reported feeling 'very high' anxiety and about 34% reported to have 'high' anxiety about the spread of coronavirus, on the other hand many (41.6%) of them believed that they had very less chances of getting infected with coronavirus. A large population (89.3%) reported complying to the nationwide lockdown. The major coping mechanism being used by the people is distractions, socializing as well as adaptive coping mechanisms. Conclusion: In the current scenario, there is a concern for India, as due to surge in persons infected with COVID 19 and an indication towards 'optimism bias ' prevalent in people there are chances of poor compliance with government guidelines on behaviour change. The findings of the study will be helpful in designing programs and government measures for the people aimed at ensuring compliance with the guidelines related to social distancing and sanitization and using adaptive coping strategies
RESUMO
Background: Significant proportion of the patients of schizophrenia suffer from subsyndromal symptomatic depressive symptoms (SSD) which not only add to the burden of disease but also to the already pre-existing challenges of living with this serious mental illness. Many psychiatrists prescribe antidepressants to patients with schizophrenia who have subsyndromal symptomatic depressive symptoms but data regarding SSD in schizophrenia is meagre. Aim was to study the effect of addition of Escitalopram on psychopathology, cognition and functioning in patients with stable schizophrenia having subsyndromal depressive symptoms and to compare these parameters with patients treated with antipsychotics alone.Methods: The study was a prospective, 8-week randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. Seventy four patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of Schizophrenia on the basis of the ICD10-DCR, adjudged to be stable clinically and not requiring any increase in dose of antipsychotic medication over the last eight weeks were recruited into the study. The patients randomly received either Antipsychotics with add-on Escitalopram (10 mg/day) or Antipsychotics with placebo for 8 weeks. The patients were assessed using the HAM-D, CDRS, PANSS, SCoRS, SOFAS and CGI scores at the end of 8 weeks. Patients were also assessed for adverse events at baseline, week 4 and week 8.Results: A total of sixty-six patients who completed the study were analyzed. The HAM-D, CDRS and PANSS score showed significantly better cognition and functioning in the patients of add-on Escitalopram group when compared with the placebo group. There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of observed side effects.Conclusions: Escitalopram addition to the standard anti-psychotic treatment of schizophrenia, in patients having subsyndromal depressive symptoms, results in better cognition and improved functioning.
RESUMO
Background: Breast cancer is one of the most common malignancies and leading cause of death in women. It not only encompasses physical but also social and psychological implications because of the importance of the breast in feminity, sexuality and motherhood. It leads to the fear of disfigurement, disability, dependence and disruption of relationships. Very few studies assessed the psychological aspect of cancer causing altered feminity and fear of death. Aims and Objectives: To assess the coping skills, death anxiety and body image in breast cancer patients, who have undergone mastectomy and who have been treated nonsurgically. Methods: 45 female in the age group of 25 years to 55 years who were aware of their diagnosis and had undergone mastectomy or treated nonsurgically between three months to twelve months at the time of inclusion were assessed on body image index, coping strategy checklist and death anxiety scale. Results and Conclusion: There were no significant differences in total coping scores between two groups but denial was used significantly higher by the patient of mastectomy group. Body image was found to be significantly better in joint family patients while patients with nuclear family had higher psychological distress. Thus types of treatment, socioeconomic and family status have important psychological implication in breast cancer patients.