Stress, Coping Strategies and Social Support as Predictors of Mental Health of Police Personnel of North India

Introduction: The profession of a police personnel is extremely stressful.  Coping strategies and social support are known to be robust buffers of stress Objective: To study Stress, Coping Strategies and Social Support as Predictors of Mental Health of Police Personnel of Uttar Pradesh, North India. Method: This was a cross-sectional study comprising of 300 male police personnel. Assessment was done using Occupational Stress Questionnaire, Brief COPE Scale and Mental Health Inventory. Multiple Regression Analysis was used to analyze the data. Results: Ambiguity stress, the belonging and appraisal support are found to be the strongest predictor of mental health of constables. Stress in the area of organizational structure, the appraisal support and maladaptive coping strategies are essential predictors of mental health of inspectors. Beside this, social support, belonging support, appraisal support and active coping are significant predictor of mental health of Officers

Correlates of suicide and temporal variations in subjects with suicide attempt

BACKGROUND: Suicide Attempt is a self-inflicted, potentially injurious behavior with a nonfatal outcome for which there was evidence of intent to die. Life changes could act as a stressor causing enhanced susceptibility for suicidal risk. Suicide is a complex public health problem due to interactive social, cultural, biological and psychological risk factors. AIM: To study suicide intent and it's association stressful life events in subjects with suicide attempt. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was cross-sectional, non-interventional study which included 102 patients. Semi-structured Performa including socio-demographic and clinical history details, Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale (PSLES) [Singh et al., 1984] was used for assessment of psycho-social and adverse life events and Beck suicide Intent Scale was used for assessment of suicide intent. Data obtained was analyzed using appropriate statistical tool. RESULTS: Statistically significantly higher suicide intent was present in males (P = 0.001), age group 31-45 years (P = 0.043), Earning group (P = 0.008), family income <10000 per month (P = 0.028), family history of suicide attempt (P = 0.028), past suicide attempt (P < 0.001) and subjects having psychiatric illness (P < 0.001). On applying Pearson's correlation , strong correlation was found between stressful life events score and suicide intent score (r = 0.705, P <0.001). CONCLUSION: Male gender in age group 31-45 years had higher suicide intent The earning group had higher suicide intent as compared to non earning group. Higher suicide intent was present in subjects having positive family history of suicide and history of prior suicide attempt. Study reported strong co-relation between Stressful life events and suicide intent score. Stressful life event score was significantly higher in subjects having psychiatric illness and past history of suicide attempt

Coping and substance use amid the “new normal” pandemic in India: Age and gender variations

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed a unique challenge for all, where numerous coping strategies are being used to adapt to the unprecedented stress. Among them, substance use is one of the most challenging for the youth in a developing country like India. Aims: The present study aimed to (1) compare among adolescents, young adults, and middle-aged adults comprehensive coping strategies and substance use, and (2) study various coping strategies as predictors of substance use amid the pandemic. Methodology: The sample comprised 1027 participants between 13–60 years of age, further categorized as adolescents (13–18 years), young adults (19–39 years), and middle-aged adults (39–60 years). The assessment was done on the Perceived Stress Scale, Brief COPE Inventory by Carver, and DSM-5 Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure. The groups were compared using Kruskal–Wallis and Chi-square. Correlations were calculated using Person's coefficient, and multiple linear regressions were analyzed. Results: The young adults used more substance use; adolescents used more self-blaming, self-distraction, instrumental support, and positive reframing. The male participants resorted to “substance use” while females were more involved with “seeking social support” and “religion.” Perceived stress, coping, age, and gender formed a significant predictor model with substance use, denial, positive reframing, and significant independent predictors of problematic substance use. Conclusions: Our study found significant age and gender-related differences in using various coping strategies and substance use. Our study explained substance use through the lens of coping where perceived stress, substance use as coping, denial, and positive reframing were significant independent predictors. Results will help to plan interventions to promote adaptive coping strategies and implement focused interventions in the vulnerable groups

Burden of care in the caregivers of patients with anxiety disorders

Introduction: Anxiety disorders are one of the frequently encountered psychiatric disorders in psychiatric clinics which have significant impact on the psychosocial well-being of the patient as well as their caregivers. Study Design and Aims: This study is a non- invasive, cross sectional study of 91 patients with anxiety disorder (except obsessive compulsive disorder) aimed to assess the burden of care on their key-relatives and to study various socio demographic and clinical variables of the patient in relation to burden of care on key-relatives. Methodology: Patients diagnosed with anxiety disorders other than obsessive compulsive disorder and their key relatives satisfying the selection criteria were enrolled in the study. Assessment was done on semi-structured proforma, ICD 10 DCR, SCAN (Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry), International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE), Burden assessment schedule, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A). Result: Total adjusted burden score in our study was 40.41 which is suggestive of mild burden. It was found that the burden of care was higher in male gender, married individuals, in joint families, among spouses, urban background, in the age group 41 to 50 years, low income group particularly on farmers and laborers. Generalized anxiety disorder was associated with more burden of care in comparison to other anxiety disorders. Conclusion: Key relatives of patients with anxiety disorder have significant burden of care in different domains along the socio-demographic strata

Mental health outcome in hospitalized COVID-19 patients: An observational analysis from North Indian tertiary care hospital

Aim: The study investigate the severity of perceived stress and wide domains of psychiatric symptoms reported on initial screening in hospitalized patients of COVID-19 with a second aim to determine the role of sociodemographic factors and coping styles in the hospitalized patients of COVID-19. Method: Total 224 patients of COVID-19 infection, hospitalized in various isolation facilities were assessed via web-based self-reported questionnaires on perceived stress scale, brief cope inventory, and DSM-5 crosscutting level-1 questionnaire. Results: Majority of the patients reported moderate level of stress followed by mild and severe. Depression and Anxiety symptoms were most common psychopathologies though the patients have reported greater severity in various domains of psychiatric symptoms. Coping styles explains most of variance (64.8%) of the perceived stress. Similarly total PSS scores, coping styles, COVID-19 status and sociodemographic factors contributed significantly to the variance of all psychiatric symptoms. Conclusion: Factors like female gender, being married, belonging to nuclear families, service class and urban domicile are the significant factors determining higher risk of stress and developing more psychopathologies. Furthermore, coping styles used by the patients have a greater moderating effect on mental health symptoms and their perceived stress which can be a major area for interventions to reduce the mental health morbidities