Pattern of acquisition of theory of mind in pre-schoolers: A cross-sectional study from South India.

BACKGROUND: Theory of Mind (ToM) is an important part of children's social cognitive development. The pattern of ToM acquisition depends on many factors including culture, the number of family members, and siblings. This study aimed to examine the pattern of ToM acquisition in Indian culture. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study among preschool children (three to six years) (N = 118) from rural and urban backgrounds. ToM development was assessed using the Wellman and Liu Theory of Mind Scale and the Children's Social Understanding Scale (parent report). RESULTS: The order of acquisition of ToM in Indian children was as follows: diverse desire> diverse belief> knowledge access> explicit false belief> content false belief> hidden emotion. The number of siblings positively correlated with the total ToM task score, and the number of adults in the family did not show any positive correlation. CONCLUSIONS: Although India is a collectivistic country, the acquisition pattern of ToM in our population was like that of individualistic countries such as the United States.

Ethical dilemmas in mental health resources for college students: A reflective case study.

Poised to have the highest number of young people in the world, India will have the onus of providing adequate mental health resources to a demographic considered among the most vulnerable with regard to mental well-being. While the Mental Healthcare Act 2017 pushed for greater accountability and care in supporting individuals with mental illness, these directions were specific to services provided by the state and did not address the care required in non-hospital settings. Since many manifestations and repercussions of mental health issues in young people occur in educational institutions, it becomes vital to address ways in which we can formulate ethical mental health services at those sites. This article is a reflective case study of the ethical dilemmas and challenges around issues of confidentiality and quality of care in relation to demand, contributing to a larger mental health ecology involved in providing mental health resources at the Student Support Centre, Manipal, that caters exclusively to students in an Indian campus town.

Clozapine-induced Supraventricular Tachycardia and its Treatment with Verapamil.

Clozapine is known to be an effective antipsychotic for schizophrenia. Cardiovascular complications associated with initiation of clozapine include tachycardia, postural hypotension, and myocarditis. Factors associated with development of cardiovascular adverse events are not clearly known, and dose titration has been described to be one among the associated risk factors. We report a case of a 45-year-old man with treatment resistant schizophrenia who developed supraventricular tachycardia during initiation of clozapine and discuss the role of verapamil in its successful management.