Peer Support on A College Campus at An Indian University

Young adults experience an increased risk of developing mental health problems as they transition from school life to university life. This is also the period of life where the peer group plays a significant role in their decisions. We describe this process of co-creating a peer support (PS) program in a residential university setting in India. The collaborative design process is described from a baseline felt need assessment to selecting and training student peer support volunteers (PSVs). The ongoing implementation and design of the program were informed by design thinking by the university staff and PSVs.The survey conducted among the first-year students of a University in South India revealed that the students were predominantly focused on difficulties in social interactions, lack of adequate mental health services, and issues related to help-seeking. This guided the content and skill development of the PSVs. The PSVs used reflective learning as the program was being implemented to identify the lacunae in the training and implementation of the PS program. They were able to provide constructive feedback and implement the changes.The PS program is an example of a low-intensity intervention that provides contextual support to students in an academic setting. This program also highlights task-sharing that is more acceptable to the youth and, therefore, more sustainable. A co-design and iterative process will give the youth-focused program a greater reach, reduce stigma, and improve help-seeking for mental health issues. This also helps create appropriate referrals for a higher level of care. This program description does not include a formal evaluation of the impact of the same, which could guide future work. Keywords: Peer Support, Academic settings, Stigma reduction, Youth Empowerment DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-23-06 Publication date:August 31st 202

Spatial organization and time dependence of Jupiter's tropospheric temperatures, 1980-1993

The spatial organization and time dependence of Jupiter's temperature near 250-millibar pressure were measured through a jovian year by imaging thermal emission at 18 micrometers. The temperature field is influenced by seasonal radiative forcing, and its banded organization is closely correlated with the visible cloud field. Evidence was found for a quasi-periodic oscillation of temperatures in the Equatorial Zone, a correlation between tropospheric and stratospheric waves in the North Equatorial Belt, and slowly moving thermal features in the North and South Equatorial Belts. There appears to be no common relation between temporal changes of temperature and changes in the visual albedo of the various axisymmetric bands

Pathways to care in first-episode psychosis in low-resource settings: Implications for policy and practice.

Developing countries such as India face a major mental health care gap. Delayed or inadequate care can have a profound impact on treatment outcomes. We compared pathways to care in first episode psychosis (FEP) between North and South India to inform solutions to bridge the treatment gap. Cross-sectional observation study of 'untreated' FEP patients (n = 177) visiting a psychiatry department in two sites in India (AIIMS, New Delhi and SCARF, Chennai). We compared duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), first service encounters, illness attributions and socio-demographic factors between patients from North and South India. Correlates of DUP were explored using logistic regression analysis (DUP ≥ 6 months) and generalised linear models (DUP in weeks). Patients in North India had experienced longer DUP than patients in South India (β = 17.68, p < 0.05). The most common first encounter in North India was with a faith healer (45.7%), however, this contact was not significantly associated with longer DUP. Visiting a faith healer was the second most common first contact in South India (23.6%) and was significantly associated with longer DUP (Odds Ratio: 6.84; 95% Confidence Interval: 1.77, 26.49). Being in paid employment was significantly associated with shorter DUP across both sites. Implementing early intervention strategies in a diverse country like India requires careful attention to local population demographics; one size may not fit all. A collaborative relationship between faith healers and mental health professionals could help with educational initiatives and to provide more accessible care. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.