Childhood play assumes a myriad of forms, each offering a unique canvas for growth. Physical play builds motor skills and body awareness, while imaginative play nurtures expression, creativity, and conflict resolution. Social interactions within a play therapy environment foster co-operation, empathy, and social understanding. Cognitive development is stimulated through problem solving; emotional development is nurtured through expression of emotions. All these modalities are used in the context of various theories of development and have given rise to a number of techniques of play therapy, each following either a single approach or in some cases an eclectic approach. This chapter unveils the world of play therapy, its origins, core principles, and the transformative potential it holds for children.

Hemolacria is a rare manifestation of dissociative disorder. Aim of index report was to present clinical findings in a 13-year old female and explore the socio-cultural meaning associated with this phenomenon. Eclectic psychotherapeutic approach was implemented to address the symptoms. To conclude, physical symptoms presenting in dissociative disorder may be conceptualized in socio-cultural context.

Posttraumatic mental health issues following traumatic limb amputations in children have been commonly reported worldwide. Traumatic limb amputationsarecatastrophic injuries/events and often have various long term psycho-social impacts on children. We report a case of 8 year-oldfemale child presenting with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following a traumatic amputation of right hand. A non- directive approach in play therapy was used for management of her symptoms. At 12 months follow up, the child is doing well with no impairment in her overall functioning.

The mental health of children and adolescents has been significantly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and recent data suggests there had been an upsurge of psychiatric morbidity in this subgroup of population. Nonpharmacological behavioral intervention in the form of play therapy has been regarded as one of the best treatment strategies in children with emotional disorders. During lockdown, we attempted a play therapy via telemedicine. In this case report, we describe the case of a four-year-old girl who had sudden-onset behavioral problems following an unplanned hair cut during the lockdown, which was managed with teleplay therapy.

Background: Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) is reported to improve depression. However, little information is available about the effectiveness of MBCT interventions online. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of adjunctive telemode MBCT on the symptom severity and quality of life in patients with depression. Methods: 15 adult patients aged 18–55 years diagnosed with depression received 8-week adjunctive MBCT intervention to the ongoing treatment as usual for all (TAU) delivered through online mode. 12 participants completed the therapy and were reassessed. Patients were assessed at the baseline on Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire, and World Health Organization-Quality of life BREF scale. Results: There was statistically significant reduction in the severity of depressive symptoms (P < 0.003) as assessed on the BDI. It led to remission in two-thirds of the patients partially responding to antidepressants. On the World Health Organization Quality of Life, there was statistically significant improvement on the domains of physical (P < 0.002), psychological (P < 0.002), social (P < 0.002), and environment (P < 0.005) domains. There was a significant improvement in the total Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire score. Conclusions: Adjunctive online MBCT appears to be a feasible adjunct to TAU in reducing severity of depression, improving mindfulness, and improving quality of life in patients with depression.

OBJECTIVE:Parent skills training interventions (PSTIs) are considered first-line treatment for ADHD. We describe development and effectiveness of a culturally-contextualised PSTI for Indian families.METHOD:Forty-one families divided into 5 groups, each group with 6-10 families received group PSTI comprising of 10 weekly sessions using multi-point videoconferencing as an adjunct to routine care in the non-randomized pre-post intervention study.RESULTS:Thirty-six families attended more than 3 sessions. RM ANOVA revealed significant improvements in parent-rated measures of inattention (p < 0.001), hyperactivity/ impulsivity (p = 0.007), conduct problems (p = 0.002), academic performance (p = 0.001) and classroom behavior (p = 0.001). Mixed ANOVA analysis did not reveal significant differences between those who received PSTI with medication and those who received PSTI on any VADPRS domains except depression/ anxiety scores, wherein former group performed better (p = 0.008). More than 60 % parents perceived that PSTI was helpful in increasing awareness, reducing guilt/ blame, improving parent-child relation and decreasing stress. Difficulty in sustaining with the strategies was reported by 50 % of parents.CONCLUSION:Findings suggest that PSTI is effective and helpful for Indian families dealing with ADHD.

Depression is a major public health problem, in terms of its prevalence, dysfunction, morbidity and economic burden. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) was developed as a psychological intervention for relapse prevention of major depression. This review provides an overview of current trends in MBCT research, including efficacy, mechanisms of change, limitations, and gaps in literature. The article concluded that MBCT may be used as adjunct psychological intervention to pharmacotherapy; however, efficacy of MBCT alone is inconclusive. Keywords: Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Depression Current Trends

To find technology-based solution to logistical difficulties in conducting group parent training for ADHD, this pilot study evaluated feasibility and acceptability of multi-point videoconferencing, wherein parents participated from homes or offices. Ten 90-minute weekly sessions were delivered using online videoconferencing platform. Most parents found videoconferencing quite useful, convenient, satisfactory and acceptable; and reported improved self-competency. Compared to face-to-face consultations, they perceived videoconferencing as more cost and time-saving. Clinicians faced occasional problems with internet connectivity at spoke end and audio-video lag. Post-intervention improvement was noted in VADPRS scores. Overall, multi-point video-conferencing for delivering group interventions for ADHD is feasible and acceptable.

Present investigation has examined the mental health of adolescents in relation to alienation. Total of 97 adolescents belonging to age range from 14 to 17 years were selected randomly from various schools of Patiala and Delhi for the study. Student Alienation Scale and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) were administered after a rapport building session. The results obtained from ANOVA revealed that anxiety and depression were significantly related to alienation whereas somatic complaints and social dysfunction were insignificantly related.the detailed results and their implications are discussed in the paper.