Addressing Dissociative Trance Disorder Patients in India: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Adolescent Girls\u27 Help-Seeking and Encounters with Inaccurate Medical Information

Background: Dissociative Trance Disorder (DTD), is a complex psychological condition characterized by abrupt trance-like states and altered consciousness, commonly seen in young women throughout various regions of India. Currently, there is a lack of research on the experiences of Indian adolescent girls with DTD and how inaccurate medical information affects their quest for suitable care. This study aims to develop a thorough comprehension of the help-seeking patterns and experiences of adolescent girls with DTD, specifically concerning encountering medical misinformation. By identifying the obstacles, they face and the cultural beliefs that shape their decision-making, this research seeks to guide interventions and initiatives aimed at enhancing care and support for this group. Method: Six adolescent girls and young women, who sought therapy at a district hospital in Sikkim were recruited for the study. They were interviewed extensively and their interview data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Result: Three super-ordinate themes that emerged were: challenges in seeking diagnosis and treatment; emotional and psychological struggles; support and healing journey. Conclusion: Misinformation surrounding DTD in India impacts the help-seeking behaviours of adolescent girls, leading to delays in diagnosis and inadequate treatment. Cultural beliefs, reliance on exorcism, and insufficient healthcare professional training contribute to this problem. Awareness campaigns are necessary to correct misconceptions and misinformation and promote accurate understanding among parents, communities, and healthcare providers. Culturally sensitive approaches, accurate information dissemination, and collaboration among stakeholders are crucial for improving care and support for individuals affected by DTD in India. Additionally, it is acknowledged that certain religious beliefs resist empirical evidence, but it is vital to recognize that not all religious beliefs are misinformation solely based on scientific evidence. As we address the impact of cultural beliefs, it is essential to strike a balance between respecting individual faith and promoting evidence-based interventions

Efficacy and safety of Guduchighan Vati in asymptomatic and mild to moderate cases of COVID-19: A randomized controlled pilot study

Background: Currently, there is no approved treatment for the management of COVID-19 pandemic. Drug repurposing of existing medications could be a possible way to find out a novel therapeutic entity to combat the COVID-19. Objectives: To determine the clinical effectiveness and safety profile of an Ayurveda Intervention (Guduchighan Vati) in asymptomatic and mild to moderate cases of COVID-19. Methods: This was an open-label randomized controlled pilot study with a sample size of 30 participants (15 in each arm). The participants were asymptomatic or mild to moderate cases of COVID-19. Guduchighan Vati 500 mg twice daily for 10 days was administered in the intervention group as standalone therapy and Hydroxychloroquine in the control group. Outcome measures: Time to negative RT-PCR for COVID-19, proportion of participants turned RT-PCR negative for COVID-19 at 5th and 10th day, duration to achieve complete clinical recovery, improvement in laboratory parameters and incidence of Adverse Drug Reaction/Adverse Event. The data was compared within group using paired sample t-test/ Wilcoxon signed rank test and between group using independent sample t-test/Mann-Whitney test. The results of RT-PCR test was compared between group using chi-square test. Results: 93.3% participants turned RT-PCR negative for COVID-19 in the intervention group, as compared to 66.6% participants in control group till 10th day of the study period. However, the results are statistically insignificant (p = 0.068) which might be attributed to smaller sample size. All the symptomatic patients in the intervention group were clinically recovered at 5th day whereas 14 out of 15 recovered in the control group. No symptoms were observed at 10th day in both the groups. No adverse drug reaction/serious adverse event were observed during the study period. Conclusion: Guduchighan Vati is a safe and effective treatment for asymptomatic and mild cases of COVID-19 and it lowers the time to RT-PCR negative status without any adverse drug reaction/adverse event

AYUSH-64 as add-on to standard care in asymptomatic and mild cases of COVID-19: A randomized controlled trial

Background: The evidence on the efficacy and safety of Ayurveda interventions as add-on to the standard conventional care for COVID-19 is limited. This study was planned to explore the potential of AYUSH-64 as add-on to conventional care in improving the clinical recovery and negative RT-PCR conversion in asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 cases. Materials and Methods: An open-label randomized controlled study was conducted at Government Medical College, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India with a sample size of 60 participants. In this study, asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 patients were randomized and allocated into intervention and control group in 1:1 ratio. AYUSH-64 two capsules (500 mg each) were administered thrice daily, after food with water for 30 days along with standard care in the intervention group, while the control group received only standard care. The effect of the interventions was assessed in terms of negative RT-PCR for COVID-19, clinical cure rate and inflammatory cytokines. Outcome measures: Primary outcome was the time to attain negative RT-PCR for COVID-19 and proportion of participants turned RT-PCR negative for COVID-19 at 7th, 15th, 22nd and 30th day respectively in the intervention group compared to the control group. Secondary outcomes were the proportion of participants who attained clinical recovery at 7th, 15th, 22nd, and 30thday; improvement in laboratory parameters on the 30th day (as compared to baseline) and incidence of Adverse Drug Reactions/Adverse Events (ADRs/AEs). The data was compared within group using paired sample t-test/ Wilcoxon signed rank test and between group using independent sample t-test/Mann-Whitney test. Results: Statistically significant difference was not observed in the proportion of participants who turned RT-PCR negative during each of the follow-ups (p=0.134) and both groups demonstrated comparable efficacy. The clinical recovery rate in terms of time taken for complete cure of symptoms in the symptomatic participants was 60% and 37% on day 15 (p=0.098) and 100% and 85.2% on day 30 (p=0.112), in the intervention and control group respectively which is numerically a better clinical outcome in the intervention group. The improvement in the inflammatory markers such as IL-6, TNF-α and D-dimer was statistically significant in the intervention group (p<0.05). None of the participants developed any complications nor were any significant ADR/AE observed in both the groups. Conclusion: In patients with asymptomatic and mild COVID-19, AYUSH-64 as add-on to standard conventional care, contributed to improving the duration for attaining complete clinical cure and demonstrated potential in reducing the levels of pro-inflammatory markers in the body

Perception and practices followed by AYUSH practitioners and health seekers for prevention of COVID-19: Cross-sectional analysis of an app-based data

Abstract AYUSH Sanjivani is a mobile application launched by the Ministry of AYUSH (MoA) to gather information regarding the utilization of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy) advocacies for the prevention of COVID-19 infection. A cross-sectional analysis of the data generated through this mobile application has been performed and presented in this article to examine the acceptability and extent of utilization of AYUSH preventive measures in India. Objectives: The objectives of this cross-sectional analysis was to determine the trends of the utilization of AYUSH measures by the beneficiaries as reported by AYUSH practitioners and by the practitioners themselves for the prevention of COVID-19 and to determine the benefit obtained in terms of self-reported parameters of general well being, the overall impact on general health and in preventing the onset of flu-like symptoms. Methods: A secondary data analysis was undertaken, utilizing the cross-sectional data generated through the AYUSH Sanjivani App from May to July 2020. The responses in terms of demographic profile, utilization pattern, benefits obtained, the interventions used and the data of beneficiaries in terms of geographic location and interventions prescribed were analyzed statistically to assess the trends of the utilization of AYUSH measures for prophylaxis. Results: Data of 74,568 AYUSH physicians and 1,35,21,245 beneficiaries/health seekers whose data were reported by 3623 AYUSH practitioners were used for analysis. AYUSH advocacies/measures were utilized by 69,195 (92.8%) physicians for prophylaxis. Samshamani Vati, Chyavanprash, and Arsenicum Album-30 were the most commonly used AYUSH interventions. Improvement in terms of appetite, bowel movements, sleep, mental well being, stamina, change in pre-existing disease, and change in disposition were reported by 42400 (61.3%) physicians. Maximum beneficiaries were from the state of Gujarat followed by Madhya Pradesh. Arsenicum Album-30 was the most commonly prescribed/distributed intervention among the beneficiaries/ health seekers. Conclusion: Maximum physicians have reported having benefited from the use of AYUSH prophylactic measures for the prevention of COVID-19. Moreover, a good proportion of the Indian population was provided the AYUSH prophylactic measures as recorded in the app