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Mobile media use among children and youth in Asia
Get PDFThe pervasive influence of mobile media on children and youth has garnered increasing scholarly attention, particularly in rapidly digitizing regions like Asia. Mobile Media Use Among Children and Youth in Asia, edited by Andrew Zi Han Yee, provides a timely and in-depth exploration of this phenomenon. By presenting diverse perspectives from researchers across the region, the volume offers a richly contextualized understanding of how mobile media shapes young people’s identities, relationships, and empowerment within their sociocultural and technological environments
Handbook of Disability: Critical Thought and Social Change in a Globalizing World
Get PDFA comprehensive volume on disability is essential to deepen our understanding of the complex, intersectional nature of disability in today’s globalised world. It provides a critical platform for diverse voices—especially those of persons with disabilities—to challenge dominant narratives, advocate for rights-based approaches, and influence inclusive policy and practice. Such works bridge theory and lived experience, offering scholars, practitioners, and policymakers a unified yet multifaceted resource to drive systemic change, foster equity, and promote social justice across all sectors of society
Capacity Building Programmes on Drug Abuse Prevention organised by the Department of Psychiatric Social Work, Institute of Psychiatry, Kolkata
Get PDFA series of Capacity Building Programmes on Drug Abuse Prevention were successfully organised across various locations in Kolkata, West Bengal, between 17–24 April 2025. These programmes were designed to raise awareness, enhance knowledge, and equip diverse stakeholders of society with effective strategies to combat drug abuse. Funded by the National Institute of Social Defence (NISD) and conducted by the Department of Psychiatric Social Work, Institute of Psychiatry – Centre of Excellence (IPGME&R-SSKMH), Kolkata, the initiative was originally planned to accommodate 150 participants (25 in each of the six programmes). However, with exceptional efforts and efficient planning, the programmes successfully reached 602 participants from different categories across the state, all while maintaining the highest standards of quality and engagement.
I had the privilege of being invited as a Resource Person for one of these landmark events held at the Swami Vivekananda State Police Academy, Barrackpore, on 29 April 2025. During this programme, I delivered two intensive sessions: "Identifying and Assessing Drug Abuse" and "Legal, Ethical, and Human Rights Considerations in Drug Abuse Prevention and Intervention"
I extend my sincere thanks to Mr. Mayank Kumar, Project Head & Assistant Professor, Dept. of Psychiatric Social Work, IOP-COE, for this opportunity and his visionary leadership. It was truly a commendable initiative, one that I believe will have a long-lasting impact on community safety and drug prevention efforts.
A Unique and Praiseworthy Approach
One of the most remarkable aspects of this initiative was the involvement of twenty-four senior faculty members from outside West Bengal, all of whom are Psychiatric Social Work (PSW) Faculty of Professionals. Typically, academic or training programmes are dominated by medical professionals and tend to rely on locally available resource persons from multiple disciplines. However, the conscious decision to exclusively engage Psychiatric Social Work (PSW) faculty from across the country reflects a progressive and pioneering approach.
This concept aligns with the philosophy behind the establishment of the Indian Journal of Psychiatric Social Work (IJPSW), “a platform of PSWs, for PSWs, and by PSWs.” The vision is to address the existing gaps in the PSW fraternity by creating dedicated spaces for PSW professionals to share research, knowledge, and lived experiences. This visionary thought, along with the initiation and conceptualisation by Mr. Mayank Kumar, is truly noteworthy. I believe it will have a long-lasting impact and will serve as an inspiring model for fellow PSW professionals across India in the future
Psychiatric Social Work: Principles to Practice
Get PDFPsychiatric Social Work practice and teaching in India has spanned over eight decades, yet there are still very few dedicated titles or volumes on the subject. There is a strong need for a comprehensive volume on Psychiatric Social Work to support both training and practice. "Psychiatric Social Work: Principles to Practice," written by Chittaranjan Subudhi, is a commendable effort to fill this gap. In this regard, it explores the historical, contemporary, and future perspectives of psychiatric social work in India. It is particularly relevant for students, educators, and practitioners within the field, offering insights into the evolution and practice of psychiatric social work in the Indian context
Revitalizing the IJPSW: Strengthening collaboration and ensuring sustainability
Get PDFDear Esteemed Readers,
I hope this message finds you well. I have been planning to connect with you for some time now. Unfortunately, various circumstances have hindered this effort until now. However, it has become increasingly apparent to me that I must discuss and determine the future course of action for our journal.
As you are aware, rather than beginning a new journal, I chose to revive the Indian Journal of Psychiatric Social Work (IJPSW) in 2017. Since then, we have successfully published 16 issues across eight volumes, spanning from 2017 to the present year of 2024. To date, we have proudly released 150 new articles and have collected and digitized approximately 50 older articles, either partially or in full, which have subsequently been published. These accomplishments are a testament to our shared commitment to advancing the field of Psychiatric Social Work (PSW). We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each author for trusting us and sharing their valuable work. Likewise, we deeply appreciate and thank all the editorial board members and reviewers for their time, support, and dedication.
The IJPSW was established with a clear vision: to create a platform of PSWs, for PSWs, and by PSWs. This vision aimed to address the prevailing gaps within the PSW fraternity, offering a dedicated space for PSW professionals to share their research, insights, and experiences. However, it has become evident that the initial vision has not fully materialized as we had envisioned. The dynamic nature of the PSW field, coupled with emerging challenges and opportunities, necessitates a re-evaluation and refocus of our efforts to ensure the journal's vibrancy and relevance.
To this end, we have decided to open the journal's editorial board to professionals from other allied disciplines. Currently, we are fortunate to have a good number of faculty and professionals from various esteemed institutions and disciplines, including Social Work, Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, and Behavioural Sciences, both from India and abroad. This growing diversity is a strength, and we believe it will provide new directions and dimensions to the journal. By inviting contributions from these allied fields, we aim to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, broaden the scope of our journal, and enrich the content we offer to our readers.
However, we must acknowledge the challenges we have faced. A significant setback occurred when our website experienced a crash during the process of updating the Open Journal Systems (OJS) software to a newer version. This unfortunate incident resulted in the loss of both article and user data, leaving the website without papers for an extended period. Despite these challenges, I am pleased to inform you that, after considerable effort, all the papers have been successfully uploaded and are now visible on the journal website. However, during this process, some mismatches with DOI and URL links occurred, rendering them inactive. We are diligently working to correct these discrepancies, and we anticipate that they will be rectified shortly.
As we move forward, there are three key elements we must prioritize to ensure the sustainability and success of the IJPSW:
Regular Submission of Quality Articles: We must continue to encourage the submission of high-quality articles. The journal's reputation and relevance depend on the calibre of the research and content we publish. We urge all our contributors and readers to actively participate in this process, whether through submitting their work or encouraging peers to contribute.
Active Participation in Review and Editorial Work: The success of our journal is also contingent on the active involvement of our editorial board members and reviewers. We need a robust team of dedicated professionals who can provide timely and constructive feedback to authors, ensuring the quality and integrity of the published work. So, we kindly request you to join our review board your involvement will help us in moving forward.
Subscriptions and Support: The financial stability of our journal is crucial to its continuity and growth. We rely on subscriptions, both individual and institutional, to cover our operational costs, which include essential services such as getting Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) for each published paper maintaining our domain and website. These are critical for handling editorial processing, peer-review management, digital publication, and indexing. Additionally, while much of the desktop publishing (DTP) work is voluntarily handled by the Editor-in-Chief, printing costs still pose a significant expense.
We sincerely acknowledge the support of the few institutional subscribers who have already partnered with us, and we express our gratitude for their commitment. Their contributions ensure that we can continue delivering high-quality content. However, to further enhance the journal’s sustainability, we encourage all of our readers and supporters to consider subscribing, either individually or through their affiliated institutions. We also urge them to actively promote the journal within their networks, as doing so will not only expand its reach but also strengthen its financial foundation. This collective effort is key to ensuring the journal remains a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, and practitioners. We sincerely extend our gratitude to our current subscribing institutions for their invaluable support. Their contributions play a vital role in maintaining the quality and accessibility of our content. However, to further enhance the reach and impact of the journal, we encourage all of our readers, researchers, and academic supporters to consider subscribing either individually or through their institutions. Additionally, we urge them to promote the journal within their networks, highlighting its relevance and importance in advancing knowledge within the field. Together, through this collective effort, we can ensure that the journal continues to thrive as a resource for scholars and practitioners alike.
The Indian Journal of Psychiatric Social Work (IJPSW) is an Open Access journal, adhering to the principles outlined by the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI).[1] This means that users have unrestricted rights to "read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles" without any barriers. IJPSW follows a 'Platinum' open access model, meaning there are no Article Processing Charges (APC) or publication fees for authors. Articles are made immediately accessible on the journal's website upon publication.
Furthermore, IJPSW allows authors to retain the full copyright of their work without any restrictions. We publish under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.[2] This license grants others the right to:
Share: Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.
Attribution: Give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if any changes were made. Attribution must be done in a way that doesn’t imply endorsement by the licensor.
Non-Commercial: The material cannot be used for commercial purposes.
No Derivatives: If the material is remixed, transformed, or built upon, the modified content cannot be distributed.
No additional restrictions or legal measures that limit the rights granted under this license may be applied.
In conclusion, the IJPSW remains a vital platform for the PSW community. However, to realize its full potential, we must adapt and evolve. With your continued support and active participation, I am confident that we can overcome the challenges we face and continue to contribute meaningfully to the field of Psychiatric Social Work.
Thank you for your attention and cooperation
Empathy and Mental Health: An Integral Model for Developing Therapeutic Skills in Counseling and Psychotherapy
Get PDFAuthor: Arthur J. Clark
Publication: London: Routledge 2023
Paperback Pages: 202 Price: £ 25.59
ISBN: 9780367764371
Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of another person. It involves putting oneself in someone else's shoes, emotionally connecting with their experiences, and comprehending their perspective. Empathy goes beyond simple intellectual understanding; it includes a genuine emotional resonance and an acknowledgment of the other person's emotional state. This capacity for empathy is essential in various aspects of human interaction, particularly in relationships, communication, and, as emphasized in "Empathy and Mental Health," in the field of counseling and psychotherapy. It forms the basis for compassion, cooperation, and the establishment of meaningful connections with others
Mental health and personality structure in adult and elderly women
Get PDFBackground: Most research supports that mental health deteriorates in later life while personality structure remains persistent throughout life. Various studies have shown that the capacity for joy, the ability to cope with stressors, the maintenance of healthy relationships with others, and the sense of accomplishment can decline as individuals grow older. However, thinking patterns, feelings towards certain things, and ways of reacting to particular situations remain constant. Methods: This study aims to examine mental health and personality structure in adult and elderly women. The hypothesis posits that there would be a significant difference in the scores of mental health and personality dimensions between elderly and adult women subjects. The study was conducted on a sample of 72 subjects, consisting of 36 adult women and 36 elderly women. They were assessed using the Mental Health Inventory and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Results: The t-test results suggested that adult and elderly women differ significantly in mental health, but no difference was found in personality structure. Conclusion: These findings emphasize that there is a disparity in the mental health of adult and elderly women, but a resemblance in their personality structures.
Keywords: Mental health, personality, adult, elderl
You cannot pour from an empty cup, ensure that your own cup is full first: A state of turmoil
Get PDFIn the realm of helping professions, particularly in social work, the axiom 'You cannot pour from an empty cup' resonates profoundly. Nowhere is this truer than when navigating the intricate intersection of clinical services, including psychiatric and neurological illness, with the principles and demands of social work practice. The challenges inherent in this space amplify exponentially, demanding a delicate balance of self-care, resilience, and professional efficacy. Clinical social workers integrate the foundational principles of social work into their daily practice to comprehensively address the needs of clients facing diverse medical challenges, including psychiatric and neurological illnesses. Central to their role is the cultivation of empathy towards clients and their families, as well as providing support to navigate everyday difficulties in a constructive manner. From the outset of their training, clinical social workers are instilled with the principle of maintaining controlled emotional involvement with clients and their families, ensuring professionalism and effective therapeutic relationships. Empathy is thought to be a vital factor in effective helping, and accounts for about 10% of psychotherapy outcomes. Thomas et al., have stated empathy involves a complicated set of capacities such as affective, cognitive, and self-regulatory. While also practicing accurate empathy can be a double-edged sword, for it might help us in effectively assisting our clients, and it also has the aftereffect of leaving us feeling burnt-out and jilted
Integrating traditional healing and modern mental healthcare in India: Collaboration and challenges
Get PDFThis paper explores the interplay between mental health discourse and traditional healing systems in India, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in integrating traditional and biomedical practices in mental healthcare. In India, traditional healing practices deeply rooted in cultural and religious traditions play a significant role in supporting individuals with mental illnesses and their caregivers. The perceived effectiveness and alignment of these practices with local cultural beliefs can either facilitate or impede the integration of formal mental health services into the community. Traditional healers, prominent in rural and tribal areas, are often the initial point of contact for families dealing with mental illness, owing to their easy accessibility, community proximity, and cost-effectiveness. However, the lack of regulation poses a significant challenge to effective collaboration between traditional and biomedical practitioners. Both groups express concerns about the absence of clear guidelines and oversight mechanisms, hindering their ability to work together cohesively. Bridging this regulatory gap is essential for creating a harmonious healthcare mechanism and system that can draws upon the strengths of both traditional and biomedical approaches to benefit patients and communities. By acknowledging and integrating traditional healers into the mental health discourse, a more comprehensive and accessible system can be established. Achieving a harmonized health system requires careful consideration of regulatory frameworks, cultural competence, and inclusivity, to maximize the benefits of traditional healing practices while ensuring safety, accessibility, and healthcare quality.
Keywords: Mental Health, Discourse, Traditional Healing, Healthcar
Types of coping as a determinant of quality of life of mothers of children with intellectual disability and autism
Get PDFBackground: It is well established that caregivers of children with developmental disabilities experience greater stress than caregivers of children without developmental disabilities. However, the experience of stress is dependent on the types of coping strategies that are used to manage stress. Such stress also affects the quality of life (QoL) of parents. Thus, parents of children with disabilities have specific mental health needs which play an important role in affecting their own and their child's QoL. Aim: To study coping as a determinant of QoL of mothers of children with intellectual disability (ID) and children with autism. Methodology: The sample consisted of 100 mothers of children (between 5-12 years of age) selected with purposive sampling, having an ID (n=50) or autism (n=50), diagnosed as per ICD-10 DCR criteria. In addition, the diagnostic assessment was also based on psychometric testing. Types of coping were assessed using Ways of Coping Questionnaires. QoL of caregivers was assessed by WHOQoL-BREF. Result: Multiple regression analysis revealed that seeking social support and planful problem solving were significant determinants of all four domains of QoL. Escape avoidance was a significant determinant of physical, psychological and social domains of QoL of mothers. Positive reappraisal significantly predicted the psychological and social domains of QoL in mothers. Conclusion: Types of coping are the determinant of QoL of mothers of children with ID and autism.
Keywords: Quality of life, coping, autis