Construction of Differences Through Movies: A Case Study of Portrayal of Kashmiri Muslims in Indian Movies

Indian movies are very popular in sub-continent and have equal rate of viewership in Pakistan as they have in India. On the other hand, movies have been known as the best tool for agenda setting since years. This had been experimented successfully at first in second world war and afterwards in USSR-Afghan war. This paper explores the portrayal of Kashmir’s in Indian movies in the same context of agenda setting. The main objective of the study is to determine whether Kashmiri Muslims are positively or negatively portrayed in Indian movies and are given equal representation or not. The researcher has employed the survey research and content analysis method for the study. Three Indian movies involving Kashmiri characters have been selected for content analysis. For the survey purpose, students of University of Punjab have been selected as population and a sample size of 150 have been taken through simple random sampling. The results of the study show that Kashmiri Muslims are portrayed as rebels and terrorist, and, are given only negative characters to perform. The study explains this phenomenon with help of Agenda Setting Theory

Achieving Insan Kamil Through Maqamat Tauhid Muhammad Nafis Al-Banjari andits Relevance to Modern Life

Insan kamil is an urgent concept to be understood and imitated for humans who want to achieve human perfection and even make it a way of life. However, there are various paradigms that differ in understanding and achieving the degree of insan kamil itself. This study aims to explain a method or method in achieving the degree of insan kamil through the maqamat of monotheism of Muhammad Nafis al-Banjari, which is contained in the book of ad-Durrun Nafis. This study uses a qualitative model with the type of literature study research with content analysis methods. The results of this study indicate that people who have undergone maqamat-maqamat tauhid will arrive at fanna fillah and baqa fillah where, when a servant has achieved it, will be classified as a perfect human being. This study concludes that the concept of insan kamil is very important to understand, because in reaching the insan kamil a salik will go through the stations of monotheism where the fruit of doing this will be able to see the essence of all events in this universe to avoid actions. the bad one

Reliability and validity estimation of Urdu version of Children Emotion Management Scales (CEMS) in Pakistan

IntroductionThe present study aimed to translate and validate Children's Emotion Management Scales into Urdu, the national language of Pakistan.MethodThe current study comprised three different phases, i.e., phase I: Cross-language validation over a sample of (N = 169) school children, estimated at a 1-week interval.ResultsThe results indicate a significant correlation (r = 0.846–0.891) at p < 0.01. In phase II, the internal consistency reliability (r = 0.808–0.904) and split-half reliability (r = 0.737–0.898) of the scale were assessed (N = 683) at p < 0.01. Furthermore, significant results for test-retest reliability analysis (N = 168) were obtained (r = 0.736–0.917 at p < 0.01), following the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (N = 1,083). Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on the same sample chosen for CFA. EFA resulted in the retention of original inhibition (INH), dysregulated expression (DYS), and emotional coping (EMO) factors. CFA findings suggest a good model fit. In phase III, convergent validity and divergent validity were checked (N = 385, 255, and 213). Convergent validity of INH and DYS subscales and divergent validity of EMO subscales were established, with SBI (r = 0.217–0.609; 0.210–0.445; −0.026 to −0.553), SHS (r = 0.417–0.441; 0.480–0.546; −0.338 to −0.582), and suppression subscale of ERQ (r = 0.430–0.480; 0.468–0.522; −0.245 to −0.369) at p < 0.01. For divergent validity of INH and DYS subscales and convergent validity of EMO subscales, their scores were correlated with the SPS (r = −0.204 to −0.350; −0.318 to −0.459; 0.191–0.531), RSE Scale (r = −0.226 to −0.351; −0.279 to −0.352; 0.255–0.507), DTS (−0.290 to −0.617; −0.369 to −0.456; 0.246–0.680), and reappraisal subscale of ERQ (r = −0.456 to −0.541; −0.329 to −0.544; 0.446–0.601) at p < 0.01.DiscussionIt is concluded that the scale is reliable and valid with sound psychometric properties

Disparities in Access to Low-Back Pain Care: A Critical Examination of Socioeconomic and Geographical Factors in the United States

Disparities in Access to Low-Back Pain Care: A Critical Examination of Socioeconomic and Geographical Factors in the United State

Dairy Production under Climatic Risks: Perception, Perceived Impacts and Adaptations in Punjab, Pakistan

The changing climatic conditions coupled with fodder availability have posed severe challenges and threats for the dairy sector in Pakistan. The current paper determines the influence of climate change on the dairy sector in Pakistan. Comprehensive data set was collected from 450 farmers. The majority of farmers experienced the climate change and its variability and explained that severity and frequency of climatic extreme events such as droughts, heat waves, floods, pests and diseases and humidity is increasing. The study found that farmers considered drought as one of the major climatic risks which severely affects all aspects of dairy production. Specifically, to estimate the perceived impacts of climatic extreme event on milk production, an ordered probit model was applied and identified that climate change had high adverse impact on milk quantity in the study area. Different adaptation practices, such as changing cropping pattern for fodder production, off-farm income activities, diversifying the farm and regular vaccination are mostly used by dairy farmers. The study recommends policy initiatives to be taken by government for long term developments in the dairy farming

The leading role of evidence-based practices in the treatment of patients with substance use disorders: a systematic review

Objectives: To explore the effectiveness of motivational interviewing, motivational enhancement therapy, and cognitive behaviour therapy for patients with substance use disorders, and to estimate the effect of such comparison in patient care setting. Method: The systematic review was conducted from September 2021 to February 2022, and comprised search on MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, Science Direct, PubMed, Clinical Trials.gov and OvidSP databases for experimental studies and randomised controlled trials related to substance use disorders published in peer-reviewed English-language journals between 2001 and 2021. Quality of the studies was assessed using the Modified Cochrane Collaboration risk of the bias assessment criteria. Results: Of the 314 studies initially identified, 41(13%) were subjected to full-text assessment, and, of them, 16(39%) were reviewed and analysed. There were 8(50%) studies done is the United States, 4(25%) in the United Kingdom, and 1(6.25%) each in Germany, Australia, South Korea and South Africa. All the 16(100%) studies were intervention-based, with 6(37.5%) being randomised controlled trials. There were 8(50%) studies using motivational interviewing and cognitive behaviour therapy, 5(31.25%) had significant results with a combination of motivational enhancement therapy and cognitive behaviour therapy, 3(18.75%) supported motivational enhancement therapy and cognitive behaviour therapy in combination, and 2(12.5%) studies combined motivational interviewing, motivational enhancement therapy and cognitive behaviour therapy, reporting significant results while simultaneously addressing multiple patient variables. Conclusion: All studies were heterogeneous. Motivational interviewing produced short-term treatment outcomes and played a supportive role in sustaining motivation. ---Continu

Attitude towards mental help-seeking, motivation, and economic resources in connection with positive, negative, and general psychopathological symptoms of schizophrenia: a pilot study of a psychoeducation program

IntroductionSchizophrenia is typically treated with medication as the first approach, but additional strategies are necessary to enhance the effectiveness of this treatment for better outcomes. However, it is crucial to explore methods, alongside medication, that promote a positive attitude towards seeking mental health support and alleviate symptom severity among non-institutionalized individuals of different age groups in Pakistan. Thus, this pilot study aimed to utilize a psychoeducation program to enhance patients’ motivation and attitudes toward seeking treatment, decrease symptom severity, and investigate the role of financial factors in their illness journey.MethodsIn this preliminary investigation, our focus was on individuals who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and were receiving treatment from various hospitals and primary care clinics. Following a thorough screening process, 255 participants met the eligibility criteria, and 220 completed the psychoeducation program. The study included both male and female participants, with 143 (56.08%) being men and 112 (43.82%) being women. Regarding marital status, 123 (48.24%) were single, 98 (38.43%) were married, and 34 (13.33%) were divorced widowers or widows. The age range of the respondents varied from 18 to 52 years, with a mean age of 35.45 and a standard deviation of 10.27.ResultsThe results indicated a decrease in symptom severity following a 16-week psychoeducation program. The psychoeducation program significantly reduced the positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and general psychopathological symptoms among patients. Similarly, significant improvement was observed in patients’ motivation toward treatment and they actively participated in treatment after getting psychoeducation about the treatment. Similarly, after the psychoeducation program significant improvement was seen in patients’ attitudes towards help-seeking and perceived mental health functioning.ConclusionIn summary, the findings suggest that our psychoeducation program has the potential to positively impact the motivation and help-seeking attitudes of schizophrenia patients towards treatment. Moreover, there is a need for further exploration of psychoeducation programs for schizophrenia, particularly in countries facing economic challenges. This study paves the way for the development of an indigenous psychoeducation program tailored to Pakistani schizophrenia patients, with potential applicability for Urdu-speaking individuals.Clinical Trial Registrationhttps://www.thaiclinicaltrials.org/show/TCTR20210208003, identifier TCTR20210208003

Does Chinese FDI, Climate Change, and CO2 Emissions Stimulate Agricultural Productivity? An Empirical Evidence from Pakistan

Pakistan’s agricultural sector growth is dwindling from the last several years due to insufficient foreign direct investment (FDI) and a drastic climate change-induced raise in temperature, which are severely affecting agricultural production. The FDI has paramount importance for the economy of developing countries as well as the improvement of agricultural production. Based on the time series data from 1984 to 2017, this paper aims to highlight the present situation of the agriculture sector of Pakistan and empirically analyze the short-run and long-run impact of Chinese foreign direct investment (CFDI), climate change, and CO2 emissions on agricultural productivity and causality among the variables. The Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (ARDL) model and Granger Causality test were employed to find out the long-run, short-run, and causal relationships among the variables of interest. Furthermore, we have employed the Error Correction Model (ECM) to know the convergence of the equilibrium path. The bound test results verified the existence of a long-run association, and the empirical findings confirmed that Chinese FDI has a significant and positive impact, while climate change and CO2 emissions has negative impact on the agricultural growth of Pakistan both in the short-run and long-run. Granger Causality test results revealed that variables of interest exhibit bi-directional and uni-directional causality. The sector-wise flow of FDI reveals that the agriculture sector of Pakistan has comparatively received a less amount of FDI than other sectors of the economy. Based on the findings, it was suggested to the Government of Pakistan and policymakers to induce more FDI in the agriculture sector. Such policies would be helpful for the progress of the agriculture sector as well as for the economic growth of Pakistan

Brief cognitive behavior therapy for stigmatization, depression, quality of life, social support and adherence to treatment among patients with HIV/AIDS: a randomized control trial

Abstract Objective Individuals living with HIV/AIDs are at a high risk of many problems like depression, stigma, quality of life, decreased adherence to treatment, and lack of social support. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of brief-cognitive behavior therapy (B-CBT) on reducing depression and stigma and improving treatment adherence, quality of life, and social support among patients with HIV/AIDS attending antiretroviral therapy (ART). Materials and methods This randomized clinical trial was conducted at ART Clinic in the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Shahkot Nankana Sahib from July 2021 to October 2021. After baseline screening, 126 patients met the eligibility criteria and 63 were allocated to the experimental group (EXPg = 63) and 63 to waitlist-control group (WLCg = 63). Participants’ age range was from 20 to 55 years. Participants who were taking ART treatment were enrolled for the CBT treatment. Before this, all the participants completed a baseline assessment to ensure a level of severity and diagnosis. A total of eight CBT based therapeutic sessions were conducted individually with EXPg. To assess the outcomes among patients receiving ART, we used Demographic form, Patient health questionnaire, HIV stigma scale, General medication adherence scale, Multidimensional scale of perceived social support, and WHOQOL BREF scale. Results Findings suggest that B-CBT significantly reduced the level of depression (i.e. F (1, 78) = 101.38, p < .000, η2 = .599), and social stigma (i.e. F (1, 78) = 208.47, p < .000, η2 = .787) among patients with HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, CBT substantially improved the level of adherence to treatment (i.e. F(1,78) = 24.75, p < .000, η2 = .503), social support (i.e. F (1, 78) = 128.33, p < .000, η2 = .606), and quality of life (i.e. F (1, 78) = 373.39, p < .000, η2 = .837) among patients with HIV/AIDS. Significant mean difference M(SD) on PHQ at post-analysis in the EXPg vs. WLCg was seen 1.22(0.47) vs. 2.30(0.68) and similarly, on MPSS at a post-analysis in the EXPg vs. WLCg 2.85(0.36) vs. 1.70(0.51) which indicates sound therapeutic outcomes. Conclusions Cognitive behavioral therapy effectively decreases the level of depression and stigma and enhances the level of social support, quality of life, and adherence to treatment among HIV/AIDS patients. It is concluded that cognitive behavior therapy is an effective treatment approach for patients with HIV/AIDS. Trial registration Thai clinical trial registry (i.e. TCTR =  TCTR20210702002 )