Personality, Adjustment Style and Academic Stress in First Year Medical Students

Background: Medical students especially in the first year of their academic life are under extreme stress. Methods: Study was conducted on 76 first year medical students. They were given a semi-structured questionnaire to collect socio-demographic data. They were subsequently administered the Big Five Inventory scale to assess personality dimensions, the Academic Stress Scale and the Adjustment Style Inventory. The data were analysed with chi-square test, independent-sample T test, and Pearson’s correlation. Results: The personality dimensions, academic stress and coping scores showed no difference among both sexes. The academic stress score showed a negative correlation with coping scale (p=0.019). Students with high scores on agreeableness and conscientious reported significantly lesser academic stress (p=0.24 and 0.01). Students with a high score on the neuroticism dimension reported significantly more stress (p=0.005). The dimensions agreeableness and conscientious positively correlated with the coping score (p= 0.005 and p<0.001) and neuroticism negatively correlated with coping (p=0.05). Students with higher scores on agreeableness and conscientious showed significantly less scores on negative coping styles (p<0.001 and p<0.001) while those with neuroticism showed significantly more negative coping (p=0.036). Conclusion: Agreeableness and conscientiousness were associated with lesser negative coping and students having neuroticism had more negative coping skills

Sexual dysfunction in females with depression: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Introduction Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in depression albeit common is strikingly understudied. The condition, if addressed properly, can be readily cured, improving the quality of life of the patient. Methods A consecutive sample of drug-naïve married female patients with depression was assessed. Depression was diagnosed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I). Depression severity was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), and sexual dysfunction, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Results Sexual dysfunction was found in 90% of the patients in our study. Patients with medical comorbidities showed a significant decrease in the desire subset of the FSFI (Mann-Whitney U=11.0, p=0.009), however there was no significant association with other subsets. Patients who expressed passive death wishes had higher scores on all indicators of sexual function and a significantly higher score in the orgasm subset of the FSFI (Mann-Whitney U=11.0, p=0.009). Conclusion The study showed a high prevalence of FSD in depressed females regardless of type and severity of depression. Depression with medical comorbidities was associated with a significant decrease in desire. Patients who expressed passive death wishes showed improved sexual function and significantly better orgasm

Ayurvedic Response to COVID-19 Pandemic in Kerala, India and Its Impact on Quarantined Individuals – A Community Case Study

The SARS-CoV-2 infection has resulted in massive loss of valuable human lives, extensive destruction of livelihoods and financial crisis of unprecedented levels across the globe. Kerala, a province in India, like the rest of the country, launched preventive and control measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 early in 2020. The Government of Kerala started 1206 Ayur Raksha Clinics and associated Task Forces across the state in April 2020 to improve the reach and penetration of Ayurvedic preventive, therapeutic and convalescent care strategies for the COVID-19 pandemic. The implementation framework of the strategy was properly designed, and had a decentralized, people-centered, and participatory approach. Kerala has robust public health machinery with adequate human resource and infrastructure in the conventional medicine sector. This community case study examines how the decentralized organizational framework was effectively utilized for facilitating the delivery of Ayurvedic services in the COVID-19 situation. Key observations from the study are: Ayurvedic programs implemented systematically, under an organized framework with social participation enables wider utilization of the services. Such a framework is easily replicable even in resource-poor settings. Rather than a pluralistic approach, an integrative health system approach may be more viable in the Kerala scenario in public health emergencies.</jats:p

Sexual dysfunction in females with depression: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Introduction Female sexual dysfunction (FSD) in depression albeit common is strikingly understudied. The condition, if addressed properly, can be readily cured, improving the quality of life of the patient. Methods A consecutive sample of drug-naïve married female patients with depression was assessed. Depression was diagnosed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders (SCID-I). Depression severity was assessed using the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D), and sexual dysfunction, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI). Results Sexual dysfunction was found in 90% of the patients in our study. Patients with medical comorbidities showed a significant decrease in the desire subset of the FSFI (Mann-Whitney U=11.0, p=0.009), however there was no significant association with other subsets. Patients who expressed passive death wishes had higher scores on all indicators of sexual function and a significantly higher score in the orgasm subset of the FSFI (Mann-Whitney U=11.0, p=0.009). Conclusion The study showed a high prevalence of FSD in depressed females regardless of type and severity of depression. Depression with medical comorbidities was associated with a significant decrease in desire. Patients who expressed passive death wishes showed improved sexual function and significantly better orgasm.</div

Table_1_Ayurvedic Response to COVID-19 Pandemic in Kerala, India and Its Impact on Quarantined Individuals – A Community Case Study.docx

The SARS-CoV-2 infection has resulted in massive loss of valuable human lives, extensive destruction of livelihoods and financial crisis of unprecedented levels across the globe. Kerala, a province in India, like the rest of the country, launched preventive and control measures to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 early in 2020. The Government of Kerala started 1206 Ayur Raksha Clinics and associated Task Forces across the state in April 2020 to improve the reach and penetration of Ayurvedic preventive, therapeutic and convalescent care strategies for the COVID-19 pandemic. The implementation framework of the strategy was properly designed, and had a decentralized, people-centered, and participatory approach. Kerala has robust public health machinery with adequate human resource and infrastructure in the conventional medicine sector. This community case study examines how the decentralized organizational framework was effectively utilized for facilitating the delivery of Ayurvedic services in the COVID-19 situation. Key observations from the study are: Ayurvedic programs implemented systematically, under an organized framework with social participation enables wider utilization of the services. Such a framework is easily replicable even in resource-poor settings. Rather than a pluralistic approach, an integrative health system approach may be more viable in the Kerala scenario in public health emergencies.</p