"Snapping, sharing and receiving blame": A systematic review on psychosocial factors of victim blaming in non-consensual pornography.

Non-consensual pornography has become a growing concern, with potentially negative consequences for the victims. Victims of revenge porn are more likely to be blamed, and understanding why and how blame is attributed toward victims of non-consensual pornography is crucial to support them and reduce the negative consequences. This study aimed to explore and synthesize the existing evidence on victim blaming in non-consensual pornography and the underlying psychosocial factors within the context of attribution framework. A comprehensive systematic review was conducted across four databases namely PubMed, ProQuest, Google Scholar, and Scopus for English-language studies published from April 2012 to June 2022. Data from the selected studies were extracted and collated into the review matrix. Among the 22 full-text reviews, 10 records that met the eligibility criteria were included in the final review. Two themes namely "Culture and morality" and "gendered differences in attributions of blame" were derived from a thematic synthesis of 10 studies and reflected the psychosocial underpinnings of victim blaming. The review highlighted how cultural narratives and perceived immorality play a major role in how attributions are placed on self or others for victim blaming in "non-consensual pornography." Blame attributions emerging from gender stereotyping and gendered responsibilization within cultural and societal contexts were found to impact self-blame and compound victimization in non-consensual pornography. The study findings implicated that recognizing psychosocial underpinnings of victim blame attribution in revenge porn would allow for evolving suitable legislative and policy responses for designing effective educative and preventative strategies.

Online gaming motives, family relationships, and personality among Indian youth.

Background: Youth involvement in gaming has become an important concern for mental health professionals due to its significant impact on functionality and relationships. However, the gaming motives and associated family relationships and personality traits in the Indian context are poorly understood. Aim: The study examined problematic online gaming, including Internet gaming disorder in connection to gaming motives and personality, especially as they impact family relationships among Indian youth. Materials and Methods: The study consisted of 179 participants (86 males; 93 females) with the age range of 18-25 years who were involved in Internet gaming in the last 1 year. The subjects were recruited using an online survey. Tools used were brief and included the Gaming Usage Questionnaire, Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short-Form, Motivation for Online Gaming Questionnaire UCLA Loneliness Scale, Sheehan Disability Scale, Brief Family Relationships Questionnaire, and MINI International Personality Item Pool. Results: The mean age of the participants was 21.99 ± 2.202 years. A stepwise multivariate regression analysis indicated that escape and competition motives, low cohesion in family relationships, low level of conscientiousness, and low level of intellect/imagination contributed to problematic gaming behaviors. Conclusions: The study established a relationship between gaming motives and both internal and external factors associated with problematic online gaming. Generalizing the findings across a larger youth population would help in developing informed preventive measures to reduce the risk of developing a gaming disorder.

Rising trend of symptomatic infections due to Hepatitis A virus infection in adolescent and adult age group: An observational study from a tertiary care liver institute in India.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) is the most common cause of Acute Viral Hepatitis (AVH) in children. It causes self-limiting illness and rarely acute liver failure. The shifting pattern in HAV endemicity is rendering adolescents and adults vulnerable to infection. METHODS: In this retrospective study, samples received from 14,807 patients with acute onset icteric illness from January 2014-December 2022 were analyzed. HAV infection was detected by anti-HAV IgM positivity. The cases were divided into 3 age groups, pediatric, adolescents and adults, and clinical presentations were compared. RESULTS: Overall, 7.72%(1144) were positive for anti-HAV IgM. Of these, 60%(690) were finally included in the study. The positive cases were divided into adults, ≥18 years (44%, 304); pediatric, <12 years (31%, 212) and adolescents (25%,174) age groups. Overall males were predominant [72.4%(500)], with a median age of 16 (IQR:9-21) years. Cases were characterised into AVH (68.1%, 470/690), Acute Liver Failure (ALF) (31.4%, 217/690) and Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure (0.43%, 3/690). AVH in the pediatric age group was 69%(146/212), adolescents was 67%(117/174), and adults was 68%(207/304). ALF cases among the 3 groups were 30%(65/212), 33%(57/174), and 31%(95/304) respectively. Overall mortality was seen in 6.52%(45/690), maximum in adolescents with ALF presentation [10.3%(18/174)]. On molecular characterization of infection, viremia was seen in 28.9%(200/690) and all the isolates were Genotype IIIA. CONCLUSIONS: The number of adults experiencing symptomatic HAV infection was seen to increase over the years in the present study. Infection in adolescents was associated with higher mortality and ALF as the clinical presentation.

Yoga as an Adjuvant with Multimodal Psychological Interventions for Excessive Use of Technology: A Randomized Controlled Trial from India.

Background: Multimodal approach of psychotherapy has been found to be effective for managing the excessive use of technology. Yoga, a holistic mind-body therapy, has been observed to be a useful adjuvant in managing substance use disorders. Yoga is also known to reduce stress and enhance overall well-being. The aim of this study was to examine whether yoga as an adjuvant treatment to psychotherapy is better than psychotherapy alone in reducing dysfunction and severity due to excessive technology use. Methods: A two-arm randomized controlled prospective study design was followed with assessor blinding and allocation concealment. Thirty consenting young adults (22 males), scoring above 36 on the Internet Addiction Test, were randomly allocated to either: Group A = psychotherapy + yoga or Group B = psychotherapy alone. Both groups received 8 sessions of psychotherapy in the 1st month. In addition, Group A received additional 10 sessions a specific yoga program (by trained professionals). After that, monthly booster sessions (supervised yoga sessions performed with direct one-on-one contact with the yoga therapist) were organized and post-assessment was conducted at 12 weeks. Each subject was assessed using the Internet Addiction Test-Short Form, Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form, Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version, and Kessler Psychological Distress Scale at baseline and after 12 weeks. Results: As compared to Group B, Group A had significantly reduced Internet use (F = 5.61, P = 0.02, ηp 2 = 0.17), smartphone use (F = 4.76, P = 0.03, ηp 2 = 0.15), psychological distress (F = 7.71, P = 0.01, ηp 2 = 0.22), and weekday use (Z = -2.0, P = 0.05, ηp 2 = 0.15) along with enhanced treatment adherence and retention. Conclusion: Yoga as an adjuvant therapy with multimodal psychological intervention for excessive use of technology was found to be effective. This carries clinical implications for mental health professionals.

Early Versus Standard Initiation of Terlipressin for Acute Kidney Injury in ACLF: A Randomized Controlled Trial (eTerli Study).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Terlipressin infusion is effective in hepatorenal syndrome (HRS-AKI). However, its efficacy for HRS-AKI resolution in acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) patients has been suboptimal. Progression of AKI is rapid in ACLF. We investigated whether early initiation of terlipressin(eTerli) can improve response rates. METHODS: Consecutive ACLF patients with stage II/III AKI despite albumin resuscitation (40 g) were randomized to receive terlipressin at 2 mg/24 h plus albumin at 12 h (ET, n = 35) or at 48 h as standard therapy (ST, n = 35). (June 22, 2020 to June 10, 2022). The primary end-point was AKI reversal by day7. RESULTS: Baseline parameters including AKI stage and ACLF-AARC scores in two arms were comparable. Full AKI response at day 7 was higher in ET [24/35 (68.6%)] than ST arm [11/35 (31.4%; P 0.03]. Day3 AKI response was also higher in ET arm [11/35 (31.4%) vs. 4/35 (11.4%), P 0.04]. Using ST compared to ET [HR 4.3; P 0.026] and day 3 serum creatinine > 1.6 mg/dl [HR 9.1; AUROC-0.866; P < 0.001] predicted HRS-AKI non-response at day 7. ET patients showed greater improvement in ACLF grade, mean arterial pressure, and urine output at day 3, and required lower albumin within 7 days than ET arm (149.1 ± 41.8 g vs. 177.5 ± 40.3 g, P 0.006) and had lower 28-day mortality: 40% vs. 65.7%, P 0.031]. Early use of terlipressin than ST [HR 2.079; P 0.038], baseline HE [HR 2.929; P 0.018], and AKI persistence at day 3 [HR 1.369; P 0.011] predicted 28-day mortality. Fifteen (21.4%) patients had treatment related adverse effects, none was life threatening. CONCLUSION: In ACLF patients, early initiation of terlipressin for AKI persisting after 12 h of volume expansion with albumin helps in reduced short-term mortality and early AKI reversal with regression of ACLF stage. These results indicate need for change in current practice for terlipressin usage in HRS-AKI.

APASL clinical practice guidelines on the management of acute kidney injury in acute-on-chronic liver failure.

Acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a syndrome that is characterized by the rapid development of organ failures predisposing these patients to a high risk of short-term early death. The main causes of organ failure in these patients are bacterial infections and systemic inflammation, both of which can be severe. For the majority of these patients, a prompt liver transplant is still the only effective course of treatment. Kidneys are one of the most frequent extrahepatic organs that are affected in patients with ACLF, since acute kidney injury (AKI) is reported in 22.8-34% of patients with ACLF. Approach and management of kidney injury could improve overall outcomes in these patients. Importantly, patients with ACLF more frequently have stage 3 AKI with a low rate of response to the current treatment modalities. The objective of the present position paper is to critically review and analyze the published data on AKI in ACLF, evolve a consensus, and provide recommendations for early diagnosis, pathophysiology, prevention, and management of AKI in patients with ACLF. In the absence of direct evidence, we propose expert opinions for guidance in managing AKI in this very challenging group of patients and focus on areas of future research. This consensus will be of major importance to all hepatologists, liver transplant surgeons, and intensivists across the globe.

Exploring the association between early childhood caries, malnutrition, and anemia by machine learning algorithm.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of early childhood caries in children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and also the hierarchy of association if any with malnutrition, anemia, and other risk factors with ECC using machine learning algorithms. METHODS: A hospital-based preventive and interventional study was conducted on SAM children (age = 2 to <6 years) who were admitted to the malnutrition treatment unit (MTU). An oral examination for early childhood caries status was done using the deft index. The anthropometric measurements and blood examination reports were recorded. Oral health education and preventive dental treatments were given to the admitted children. Three machine learning algorithms (Random Tree, CART, and Neural Network) were applied to assess the relationship between early childhood caries, malnutrition, anemia, and the risk factors. RESULTS: The Random Tree model showed that age was the most significant factor in predicting ECC with predictor importance of 98.75%, followed by maternal education (29.20%), hemoglobin level (16.67%), frequency of snack intake (9.17%), deft score (8.75%), consumption of snacks (7.1%), breastfeeding (6.25%), severe acute malnutrition (5.42%), frequency of sugar intake (3.75%), and religion at the minimum predictor importance of 2.08%. CONCLUSION: Anemia and malnutrition play a significant role in the prediction, hence in the causation of ECC. Pediatricians should also keep in mind that anemia and malnutrition have a negative impact on children's dental health. Hence, Pediatricians and Pediatric dentist should work together in treating this health problem.

Dissociation in hepatic vein pressure gradient, liver stiffness measurement and complications in histological subtypes of porto-sinusoidal vascular disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Portosinusoidal vascular disease (PSVD) is a broad term encompassing varied histological patterns with changes in portal tracts and sinusoids without cirrhosis. We aimed to assess whether there is any clinical and pathological difference among the various histological categories of PSVD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study included liver biopsy cases classified as PSVD (2020-2022). Clinical and laboratory parameters were obtained from the electronic records. PSVD cases were histologically categorised as obliterative portal venopathy (OPV), OPV with fibrosis (OPV-F), incomplete septal cirrhosis (ISC), nodular regenerative hyperplasia (NRH), mega sinusoids with fibrosis (MSF) and unclassified. Follow-up complications were recorded. RESULTS: PSVD categories were OPV (45 (26%)), OPV-F (37 (21.4%)), ISC (20 (11.6%)), NRH (19 (11%)), MSF (19 (11%)) and unclassified (33 (19%)). Elevated hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) was noted in OPV-F (10 (IQR: 12-14.7)) and ISC (12 (IQR: 9-14)) mm Hg with higher fibrosis quantity in liver tissue and elevated procollagen III aminoterminal propeptide, which correlated with HVPG. On immunohistochemistry, OPV-F and ISC showed lesser expression of ADAMT13 in liver biopsies (p<0.001). On follow-up, ascites development was more in OPV-F and ISC than in other categories (p=0.001). Higher liver stiffness measurement (LSM) values were recorded in MSF and NRH, compared with other categories, but it did not correlate with fibrosis in liver biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: OPV-F and ISC had higher HVPG, fibrosis, and more ascites development on follow-up than the other categories of PSVD, and all are not the same. In contrast, MSF and NRH have spuriously high LSM.

Real-Time Shear Wave Elastography for Determining the Ideal Site of Liver Biopsy in Diffuse Liver Disease.

Objectives The objective of the study was to identify accurate site of liver biopsy under ultrasound and elastography guidance and compare the shear wave elastography (SWE) and transient elastography (TE) diagnostic accuracy with histopathological correlation. Methods This was a prospective single-center study where patients scheduled for nonfocal liver biopsy were divided into two groups (group U: ultrasound; group E elastography) by sequential nonrandom selection of patients. Elastography was performed before the biopsy and biopsies from the maximum stiffness segment were taken. Results There was no significant difference of intersegmental liver stiffness with mean velocity; however, biopsy segment velocities show significant difference with mean liver stiffness suggestive of heterogenous distribution of fibrosis. The rho ( r ; Spearman's correlation) value between biopsy segments and mean velocities shows excellent correlation. The diagnostic performance of TE was good for fibrosis stages F2, F3, and F4, while SWE was fair for the diagnosis of fibrosis stages F1 and F2 and fairly equal for the diagnosis stages F2 and F3. Area under the curve (AUC) values in differentiating mild (F1) or no fibrosis from significant fibrosis (≥F2) were 95.5 with cutoff value of at least 1.94 m/s. Conclusions The diagnostic performance of SWE is comparable with TE in liver fibrosis staging and monitoring. Fibrosis is heterogeneously distributed in different segments of the right lobe liver. Therefore, elastography at the time of biopsy may help in defining the accurate site for biopsy and improve histopathological yield in detecting liver fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease. Advances in Knowledge Elastography-guided biopsy is helpful to determine the ideal site of biopsy.

A retrospective study of life skills promotes healthy Internet use among adolescents.

Background: Since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic, studies highlight the augmentation in the use of Internet and smartphone, especially among the adolescents. However, little is known about the effect of technology addiction on adolescent mental health following reopening of the schools. Aim: The study aims to assess the level of technology addiction, life skills, and mental health impact among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in India. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional research was conducted from July 2021 to October 2022. A nonprobability convenience sampling was used to collect the data from 352 adolescents using an Internet addiction test, smartphone addiction scale, life skills scale, and patient health questionnaire. Results: More than half of the adolescents were moderately addicted to the Internet and Smartphone. Three-fourth of the adolescents had mild-to-moderate depression. Those with moderate life skills were found to be moderately addicted to the Internet and Smartphone. Religion was found to be associated with Internet addiction. Age, religion, and parental monthly income were significantly associated with smartphone addiction among adolescents. Furthermore, class and life skills were significantly associated with depression among adolescents. Conclusion: Early-life skills training can help to prevent dysfunctional Internet use and mental and psychological problems among adolescents in schools and colleges.

Performance Evaluation of an Improved HBsAg Assay (HBsAg NEXT) for the Detection of HBsAg Levels.

Objectives Detection of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) plays an important role in the screening and diagnosis of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections. There is a need of highly sensitive assays with an improved lower limit of detection (LoD). Here, we evaluate the performance characteristics of the HBsAg NEXT (HBsAg new) assay in the detection of HBsAg in clinical samples. Materials and Methods This was a cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary care liver center in North India. The study included 439 clinical samples. The HBsAg new assay was compared to the conventional chemiluminescence-based assay (HBsAg old assay, Architect, Abbott Diagnostics, United States). The analytical sensitivity of the HBsAg new assay was evaluated by checking its performance with the second World Health Organization (WHO) international standards for HBsAg. Results Out of 439 blood samples that were retrieved from the departmental repository stored at -80°C, 100 samples were positive and 339 samples were negative for HBsAg as per the HBsAg old assay. The HBsAg new assay showed incremental detection of HBsAg in 11 additional samples. Out of these, 5 samples were confirmed as occult HBV infection and the remaining 6 were classified as "exposed-to-virus" samples (HBV core total antibody-positive). The HBsAg new assay demonstrated a high positive significant correlation with the HBsAg old assay ( r = 0.881, p -value < 0.001). The HBsAg new assay could effectively detect the second WHO international standards to the level of 0.0033 IU/mL. Conclusion The HBsAg NEXT assay is a highly sensitive assay with an improved lower LoD.

SpeckleCam: high-resolution computational speckle contrast tomography for deep blood flow imaging.

Laser speckle contrast imaging is widely used in clinical studies to monitor blood flow distribution. Speckle contrast tomography, similar to diffuse optical tomography, extends speckle contrast imaging to provide deep tissue blood flow information. However, the current speckle contrast tomography techniques suffer from poor spatial resolution and involve both computation and memory intensive reconstruction algorithms. In this work, we present SpeckleCam, a camera-based system to reconstruct high resolution 3D blood flow distribution deep inside the skin. Our approach replaces the traditional forward model using diffuse approximations with Monte-Carlo simulations-based convolutional forward model, which enables us to develop an improved deep tissue blood flow reconstruction algorithm. We show that our proposed approach can recover complex structures up to 6 mm deep inside a tissue-like scattering medium in the reflection geometry. We also conduct human experiments to demonstrate that our approach can detect reduced flow in major blood vessels during vascular occlusion.

Efficacy of video-based relaxation technique to minimize stress in young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The uncertainty of the pandemic and rapid changes brought forth stressors for young adults as learning shifted to the online mode and most recreational activities required screen time. The objective was to evaluate the effectiveness of video-based diaphragmatic breathing relaxation technique in reduction of stress levels amongst young adults during COVID-19 pandemic. A quasi-experimental design with a sample size of 30 young adults undertook pre- and post-tests of subscale of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale 21-items (DASS-21), negative emotion questionnaire, and hair cortisol concentration through enzyme-linked-immunosorbent assay technique. The findings indicate that there was a reduction in stress levels as majority of the items on the stress subscale of DASS-21 revealed lower stress at significant level. In addition, post-intervention participants reported a reduction in experience of negative emotions. Therefore, indicating that the diaphragmatic focused video-based intervention was effective in lowering stress and negative emotions.

Nursing students' perceptions regarding well-being and healthy use of digital technology: A qualitative thematic analysis.

BACKGROUND: The health and well-being of nursing students are of the utmost importance. Well-being is affected by many factors, ranging from day-to-day hassles to severe stressors in students' college lives. In addition to many other challenges, one new component is added with the advancement of technology, that is, the use of digital technology. The objectives of the study were to explore the perceptions of nursing students regarding well-being, its associated factors, digital technology usage and association between well-being and digital technology use. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A qualitative descriptive design using focus group discussion (FGD) was adopted in this study. A purposive sampling technique was followed for selecting the participants. Five nursing colleges in the city of Bengaluru from Karnataka state (Central Government-1, State Government-2, and Private-2) were selected based on their willingness to allow their students to be a part of the study. Around 12-15 students from each college who might provide potentially rich data were invited to participate in the study. Six FGDs were conducted during June-August 2018 with a total of 80 participants. All the participants were informed about the study. Written informed consent was obtained. All FGDs were audio recorded, and audiotapes were transcribed. Thematic analysis was done using Atlas.ti software. RESULTS: The emerging themes were clustered under the following broad categories: understanding the concept of well-being and associated factors; understanding digital technology; ways to healthy use of digital technology; strategies to maintain well-being; and a felt need for professional help. CONCLUSION: This study provides an insight into the experiences of well-being, stress, and use of digital technology among undergraduate nursing students. The findings have led to elicit the components required to develop an intervention program that may help the undergraduate nursing students to enhance well-being as well as promote healthy use of digital technology.

An Integrated Yoga and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention for Managing Excessive Use of Internet among the Youth: A Case Series.

Background: Internet addiction is a behavioral problem that is managed by pharmacological and nonpharmacological methods. The nonpharmacological methods focus on enhancing skills for healthy use of technology and promoting mindfulness and mental relaxation. Yoga therapy is an effective tool to reduce psychological stress and promote self-regulation and mindfulness. Thus, present work focused on developing an integrated yoga and cognitive behavioral therapy intervention (Y-CBT) for the management of excessive use of technology amongst adolescents and young adult students. Methods: Feasibility of the Y-CBT program was tested by implementing 10 sessions of yoga and 6 sessions of CBT program for 2 weeks by certified Yoga therapist and psychologist, respectively. This was followed by online booster sessions once a week, and post assessments were conducted at 12 weeks. A total of 4 college-going students with the excessive use of technology were recruited from tertiary specialty service for promotion of healthy use of technology. Each participant was assessed using short-version of internet addiction test (s-IAT), Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version, Kessler's Psychological distress scale for baseline, and follow-up assessment after completion of the program. Results: The Y-CBT program was found feasible and useful in reducing internet use, smart phone use, and psychological distress. There were no reported side-effects. A trend was observed for increase compliance toward treatment at follow-up. Future studies should explore this further with robust methodology.

Outcome of capacity building in mental health for well-being volunteers.

Introduction: Volunteering is any activity in which time is given to assist another individual, group, or organization. It assists people who want to get involved in philanthropic programs that help volunteers develop awareness and lead healthier personal and social lives. Several volunteers have received specialized training in the fields in which they volunteer, such as health, mental health, education, or emergency rescue. Volunteers are rendering intervention in different areas in mental health. They are providing psychosocial support to the individuals, groups, community, promoting mental health through conducting various mental health awareness programs in the community. There is a growing concern about mental health in India due to the inaccessibility of services. The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) being a premier institute for mental health, is devising innovative approaches to mental health care to reach the unreachable. One such initiative was to build the capacity of volunteers in the community who are interested in working for the cause of mental health. Methods: The objective of this study was to evaluate the outcome of the well-being volunteer program. This study used a descriptive cross-sectional research design, wherein all the 136 trained well-being volunteers (WBVs) were included as the study sample. The data was collected from the volunteers who attended the WBV program, which was initiated by NIMHANS Centre for Well-being (NCWB) and the Department of Psychiatric Social Work NIMHANS. A questionnaire on the outcome of the Well Being Volunteers program was developed for the study, and the Volunteer Motivation Inventory scale was used to collect the data from the WBVs. SPSS software was used to analyze the data. Ethical clearance was sought from the Institute Ethics Committee of NIMHANS. Results: The WBV program enhanced volunteers' knowledge of mental health and benefited the volunteers in their personal and social life. They were also able to implement a satisfactory level of mental health-related volunteer activities in the community. Conclusion: Results of present study and the available literature suggest that engaging in voluntary services improves mental health knowledge. WBV program has provided opportunity to Volunteers to participate in mental health delivery system at different levels.

Antiproliferative Activity of New Pyrazole-4-sulfonamide Derivatives: Synthesis and Biological Evaluation.

Pyrazole and sulfonamide constitute an important class of drugs, with several types of pharmacological agents. Facile synthesis of two new series of 3,5-dimethyl-1H-pyrazole-4-sulfonamide and 1,3,5-trimethyl-1H-pyrazole-4-sulfonamide derivatives was designed and synthesized. These pyrazole-4-sulfonamide derivatives are characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and elemental analysis, and their biological evolution data are presented. This paved way for the development of new pyrazole-4-sulfonamide derivatives. These compounds are tested for their in vitro antiproliferative activity against U937 cells by the CellTiter-Glo Luminescent cell viability assay using Mitomycin C. Cytotoxicity detection is based on the measurement of LDH activity, while these compounds did not exhibit cytotoxic activity on these cells. Half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) was calculated by Graph Pad Prism software for each dose. Their structure-activity relationships were obtained and discussed.

Development of a Technology-Based Intervention to Improve Help-Seeking in Distressed Non-Treatment-Seeking Young Adults With Common Mental Health Concerns.

Background There is a dearth of interventions aimed at improving help-seeking for common mental health concerns among distressed young adults, particularly in the urban Indian context. Availability of cost-effective, targeted intervention for improving appropriate help-seeking can pave the way for reducing the treatment gap. This could prove especially beneficial in low-resource settings. This study describes the guiding principles, underlying theory, and development process of a simple technology-based help-seeking intervention for distressed non-treatment-seeking young adults. Methods Several models of professional help-seeking behavior were examined to ascertain a suitable theoretical framework for the development of the intervention to enable help-seeking among distressed non-treatment-seeking young adults. Pilot work was carried out before the development, along with content validation of the intervention by field experts. Results Help-seeking intervention was developed based on the preferences of young adults and literature review. Eight core intervention components and one optional component were developed, which were built on selected theoretical frameworks. These components have been postulated to enhance awareness of common mental health problems, the utility of self-help, and support of significant others, and to increase the skills to understand when it may be appropriate to step up to professional help-seeking. Conclusion Help-seeking interventions delivered beyond the traditional clinic and hospital setups prove useful as low-intensity interventions acting as gateways to seek mainstream mental health services. Further research will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of the intervention in reducing perceived barriers and enhancing inclination to seek professional help and help-seeking behavior among distressed non-treatment-seeking young adults.

Development and validation of an instrument for the assessment of internet use in the Indian context.

Background: Internet usage is increasing in the young population. Over 560 million internet users, India is the second-largest online market globally, which necessitates the development of an Internet use assessment tool in the Indian context. Methods: Samples of 560 individuals aged from 16 to 40 years participated. Data were coded in excel sheet for STATA 14.0 analysis evolved to item response theory. Cronbach's alpha was used to determine the internal consistency; concurrent validity was performed using the "Internet Addiction Test." Descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, confirmatory factor analysis, and Pearson's correlation were also determined. Results: The developed instrument has the Cronbach's alpha reliability value (25 items) of 0.893, which indicates high internal consistency and has a concurrent value of 0.800. Factor analysis of 23 items revealed that the variance of 64.481 revealed all the items loaded in the rotated component matrix. The final 18 items got the item discrimination index was >1.0 with three-factor structure. Conclusion: The developed reliable and valid instrument can be used for identifying the patterns of internet usage across various settings (research, educational, mental health/clinical, and workplace).