Influence of Religious Affiliations on Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Among Physicians: A Cross-Sectional Study From India.

Objective: To examine the attitudes among practicing physicians of various specialties toward homosexuality and its association with participants' religious affiliations in India.Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among physicians about their attitudes toward homosexuality between December 2018 and January 2019. Participants completed a survey anonymously in hardcopy form or online. The survey was developed based on the Attitude Toward Homosexuality Scale for Indians (AHSI). A higher AHSI score indicates less homonegativity. It was modified by adding demographic details, career status, and personal experience with homosexual individuals.Results: The study results showed that among 106 respondents, 81 were men with a mean (SD) age of 32.2 (7.3) years. Of the participants, 40 (37.7%) were MBBS graduates with no specialization, while 34 (32.1%) and 32 (30.2%) respondents were from medical and surgical specialties, respectively. The majority of the respondents were Muslim (43.4%), followed by Hindu (35.8%), Christian (10.4%), those not conforming to any religion (5.7%), and other religions (4.7%). The mean ± SD total score on the AHSI was 69.6 ± 17.7, which was higher than the mean neutral score of 60. The AHSI total score was significantly higher among women (P < .001). The total AHSI score was highest among the no religion category followed by Hindus, with the lowest for biblical religions; the difference was statistically significant (P < .001). No significant difference was seen between Muslims and Christians.Conclusions: This study showed an overall positive attitude among the respondents toward homosexuality; however, those belonging to Abrahamic religions, especially Muslims, had more negative attitudes. The results highlight the need for antistigma campaigns and educational interventions targeting the physician population of India to reduce negative attitudes toward homosexuality and improve their knowledge of this topic.

Depression Literacy Among Dermatologists: An Online Survey Study in India.

OBJECTIVE: Early and higher detection rates of depression among dermatology patients can lead to better prognosis. Increased depression literacy among dermatologists might play a vital role in the early and successful detection and treatment of depression among their patients. The objective of this study was to investigate depression literacy among dermatologists working in India. METHODS: An online survey with a questionnaire comprising sociodemographic variables and the Depression Literacy Questionnaire was conducted to collect data on depression literacy among dermatologists between July 6, 2019, and August 6, 2019. Sociodemographic variables included age, sex, educational qualification, practice location, practice duration, and practice type. RESULTS: The response rate was 56.99%. The majority of respondents were aged 31-50 years, female, and working in urban areas. The mean ± SD total score of the respondents was 17.4 ± 2.36, with the lowest score being 10 and the highest score 22. More correct answers (98.1%) were recorded for the items "loss of confidence and poor self-esteem may be symptoms of depression" and "sleeping too much or too little may be sign of depression." The mean total score of female respondents was higher than that of men, and the difference was significant (P = .003). CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed good depression literacy status among dermatologists working in India. Female respondents were found to have higher depression literacy.

Awareness of psychodermatology in Indian dermatologists: A South Indian perspective.

This study was aimed to survey the awareness, knowledge, practicing patterns, and attitudes of dermatologists toward psychocutaneous disorders in a South Indian State. The questionnaire-based study was performed from August 1 to October 31, 2019. Study participants included 123 dermatologists. The questionnaire consisted of nine multiple-choice questions and two open-ended questions regarding knowledge, practicing patterns, and attitude to psychodermatology. Forty five (36.6%) dermatologists completed this online survey. Out of them 73% were women and 40% were trainees. Nine respondents (20%) had frequent experience with psychodermatology, but only 6 (13.3%) were very comfortable in diagnosing and treating psychodermatology patients. Vitiligo was the disease with maximum respondents reported encountering >10 patients monthly with psychologic co morbidities (30, 66.7%). The most common diagnoses which required psychiatric referral were delusion of parasitosis (22.2%), trichotillomania (20%) and neurodermatitis (8.9%). Thirty six respondents (80%) were unaware of any patient or family resources on psychodermatology. Thirty-nine respondents (86.7%) expressed interest in attending educational events on psychodermatology. Survey results showed high need of liaison clinics of dermatology and psychiatry. Many dermatologists lack proper training in treating psychodermatology cases while they may be the sole service provider to the patients. We propose incorporation of psychodermatology curriculum in residency training programs.