COVID-19 infection brings about both physical and psychological stress. These stresses subsequently activate the hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic–adreno-medullar (SAM) axis. The dysregulation of these two axes resulted in maladaptive physical–emotional–behavior cascade which resulted in fight or flight response. Herein, we intend to report a case of COVID-19, who experienced severe HPA and SAM axes dysregulation which resulted in sympathetic hyperactivity state (SHS) during his hospitalization, had assaulted another person without recollection of memory. The condition was further mitigated with antipsychotic treatment. Proper forensic psychiatry assessment determined that he was in the state of unsound mind at the time of offence. In conclusion, the psychological response of SHS is devastating. This case shed light on the importance of early identification and intervention of SHS. Hence, the devastating consequence which includes the involvement of the criminal justice system could be prevented.
Online health-related information has enhanced the role of treatment seekers in treatment decision-making. However, it has been associated with excessive use of the Internet to reduce anxiety concerning illness The present case documents the role of seeking online health-related research with misinterpretation of persistent physical symptoms in a 25-year-old young employed adult. He received medication after tests revealed that he had sinusitis. He started engaging in online health research (OHR) for the persistent dryness of the mouth, burning sensation in the throat, and running nose in the last 2 years. He started spending 2–3 h a day to know about the complaints. He reported a decline in online health-related search subsequent to skill-based behavioral sessions to use reliable websites and its discussion with health professionals. The case emphasizes how important it is for patients to be able to share the results of their Internet research in order to ensure that their opinions are appreciated and to strengthen the bonds between doctors and their Internet-savvy patients.
Background: Inclusive education has been gaining maximum attention throughout the disadvantaged regions of India. Jammu and Kashmir region has been working on issues related to promoting the accessibility of education for children with disability. Although the legislature granted equal and specific rights for disabled children, its proper implementation is away from its purpose in Kashmir. Aim: This study aimed to explore the knowledge, attitude, and perception (KAP) of Kashmir school teachers toward the inclusion of these children in the mainstream classes. Materials and Methods: This study was a cross-sectional cluster-based with a sample of 250 school teachers from primary (120), secondary (80), and higher secondary (50) schools. The teacher attitudes toward inclusion scale was utilized. The scale assessed: (1) teacher perceptions of students (POS) with disabilities, (2) their Beliefs about the efficacy of Inclusion (BEI), and (3) perceptions of professional roles and functions (PRF). The obtained data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 25. Results: Teachers experienced significantly higher scores on two subscales: PRF and BEI. The study also found that gender, type of school, and knowledge about disability influenced teachers' attitudes. A significant mean difference of key inclusive variables of KAP across teachers of various schools and genders was found. Conclusion: Teachers' attitudes, knowledge about disability, POS, BEI, and PRF showed a significant correlation. There were enormous knowledge gaps in the education system that prevented teachers from supporting inclusive education for children with disabilities.
Introduction: Fasting is an important ritual in various religions, particularly in Islam. Since Muslims constitute around 24% of the world's population, hence fasting impacts a huge number of people. The purpose of the study is to know about the clinical profile of fasting and nonfasting patients in the Psychiatry Outpatient Department, and the association of the latter group with psychotropic medications. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the Outpatient Psychiatry Department during Ramadan, and the participants were selected using a systematic random sampling method. All the cases were interviewed for sociodemographic parameters such as age, gender, residence, occupation, fasting status, diagnosis, medications taken with side effects if any, and reasons for nonfasting. The study was conducted after approval from the institutional ethical committee. The information thus generated was presented in tables as frequencies and percentages. Results: Most of the study population belonged to the age group of 26–45 years (62.5%). Most were female (53%) and married (90%), and 67% had received a primary-level education. Around 59.2% of our patients were nonfasting and 40.8% were fasting. The two most common diagnoses in our study group were major depressive disorder (MDD) (35.82%) and bipolar disorder (20.39%). In fasting patients, MDD (45%) and anxiety-related disorders (31.6%) were the main diagnosis, whereas, in nonfasting patients, major depressive disorder (29.4%), bipolar disorder (28.1%), and psychotic disorders (13.4%) were most common. The frequent doses of medication were the most common cause of nonfasting in 31% followed by side effects of medications in 27.7% of patients. The most common side effects of drugs that led to nonfasting were dry mouth, headache, dizziness, and sedation. Conclusions: As fasting impacts a huge population, as a clinician one must choose drugs with lesser side effects, avoid polypharmacy, and prefer drugs with single or twice daily dosing. This is particularly so as nonfasting is often associated with guilt.
Objective: The main goal of this study was to test the psychometric properties of the Survey of Attitudes Towards Statistics (SATS-36) among undergraduate students. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted among a sample comprising of 218 undergraduate students at University Malaysia Sarawak. A convenience sampling technique was implemented while selecting participants. The self-report questionnaire consisted of two parts. The first section included the socio-demographic characteristics of participants, such as age, gender, and ethnicity. The second section was the Survey of Attitudes Towards Statistics (SATS-36). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to arrive at the best factor solution. To assess factor invariance, multi-group CFA was performed. Results: Descriptive statistics of students' attitudes toward statistics revealed that most of the students held positive attitudes toward statistics. EFA analysis deemed to have produced the incorrect factor structure as most items were misclassified on the wrong factor. CFA suggested a 6-factor solution with 30 items. Thus the 36 items were reduced to SATS-30. The goodness-of-fit statistics for the SATS-30 showed a passable model fit. Responses of male and female students to the SATS-30 were then examined to explore scale invariance across gender. Consistency was found across two groups. This was, furthermore, supported by the assessment of composite reliability which was also found to be relatively high. Conclusion: The present findings are consistent with extant research literature on factor structure and invariance of the Survey of Attitudes Toward Statistics scale. Further research on SATS-30 could include longitudinal studies in order to analyze causality.
