172 research outputs found
Methylprednisolone abuse: Report of two cases and review of literature
No full textSteroids are known to have mood-elevating effects and are commonly used by quacks for various medical ailments. In this report, we present two cases, who were started on corticosteroids for somatic symptoms, who continued to abuse the steroids and became dependent on the same because of the mood-elevating effect and feeling of general well-being with these medications
Psychogenic hiccup in children and adolescents: A case series
No full textHiccups can be due to organic diseases or psychogenic causes. Psychogenic hiccup in children is an understudied area. We report a series of four cases presenting with psychogenic hiccups to the Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic of a tertiary care hospital in North India. The cases were aged 11 to 13 years; three of them were males and one female. Three of the patients belonged to a rural background and all of them were from Hindu nuclear families. The duration of hiccups for which treatment was sought ranged from three to fourteen months. The most common gains seen in two of the patients were, lesser scolding from the parents and getting eatables of their choice. The patients were managed by counseling and psychoeducation about the problem and cutting down the secondary gain. Techniques of suggestion and double bind were tried. Two of the patients had improved on the day detailed assessments were done, and all of the patients had improved on follow up. Psychogenic hiccups in children and in the adolescent age group can be effectively managed by using non-pharmacological methods and appropriate education of the parents
Symptom profile of depression in elderly: Is assessment with geriatric depression rating scale enough?
No full textAim of the Study: This study aimed to evaluate the symptom profile, including somatic symptoms among elderly patients with first episode depression using the Geriatric depression scale (GDS-30) and Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) items version scale. Additional aims were to carry out the factor analysis of symptoms reported on GDS-30 and PHQ-15 among elderly. Methodology: Seventy-nine elderly patients (age ≥60 years) were evaluated on GDS-30 item Hindi version and Hindi version of the PHQ-15. Results: As per GDS-30, the most common symptom noted among elderly was “dropped many of your activities and interests” (91.1%), mind not as clear as it used (88.6%), feeling that life is empty (86.1%), bothered by thoughts you cannot get out of your head (86.1%) and hard to get started on new projects (86.1%), prefer to avoid social gatherings (86.1%). All patients reported at least one somatic complaint as per PHQ-15. The most common somatic symptoms were trouble sleeping (97.5%), feeling tired or having little energy (96.2%), feeling that the heart is racing (52.9%), constipation, loose bowels, or diarrhea (49.6%), shortness of breath (46.8%), nausea, gas or indigestion (45.6%), pain in the arms, legs, or joints (43.3%), and back pain (41.8%). The prevalence of somatic symptoms was not influenced to a large extent by the demographic variables, clinical variables and presence or absence of physical comorbidity. However, the severity of somatic symptoms correlated positively with GDS-30 score. Factor analysis of Hindi version of GDS-30 yielded a four-factor solution, which was similar to many studies across the world. The addition of items of PHQ-15 items of factor analysis still yielded a four-factor solution. Factor 1 of combined GDS-30 and PHQ-15 items included items only from GDS-30 and Factor 3 and 4 included items only from PHQ-15. There was some overlap of items on Factor 2. Conclusion: The present study suggests that GDS-30 does not tap all the symptoms of depression among elderly in the Indian context. Further, the present study shows that GDS-30 is not a one-dimensional scale. Accordingly, the symptom evaluation among elderly depressed patient should go beyond GDS-30
Missed diagnosis-persistent delirium
No full textDelirium is in general considered as an acute short lasting reversible neuropsychiatric syndrome. However, there is some evidence to suggest that in a small proportion of cases delirium may be a chronic or persistent condition. However, making this diagnosis requires clinical suspicion and ruling other differential diagnosis. In this report, we present a case of a 55-year-old man who had cognitive symptoms, psychotic symptoms and depressive symptoms along with persistent hypokalemia and glucose intolerance. He was seen by 3 psychiatrists with these symptoms and was initially diagnosed as having depressive disorder and later diagnosis of bipolar affective disorder (current episode mania), and psychosis were considered by the third psychiatrist. However, despite the presence of persistent neurocognitive deficits, evening worsening of symptoms, hypokalemia and glucose intolerance diagnosis of delirium was not suspected
An unusual case of self-inflicted stab injury to brain under alcohol intoxication without any behavioral or cognitive sequelae
No full textIntracranial injuries related to trauma, homicidal attacks, gunshot, or accidental injuries are commonly seen in emergency department. However, self-inflicted intracranial injuries are rarely described. In this report, we present a case of self-inflicted injury to the brain, by a male, under the influence of alcohol without any behavioral or cognitive sequelae
Biofeedback intervention during the pregnancy for the treatment of anxiety disorder: A case report and review of literature
No full textAnxiety disorder during pregnancy has an adverse effect on the fetal, Obst, and neonatal outcomes. There is controversy about the use of psychotropic during pregnancy. The effective, safest, and easy to administer, nonpharmacological intervention is the unmet need. Biofeedback therapy is an acceptable and effective therapy for anxiety symptoms during pregnancy. We report a case of a young pregnant presented with anxiety symptoms in the first trimester along with recurrent panic attacks. The patient was managed with Biofeedback therapy, without any prenatal or postnatal complication. Future studies are required to understand the efficacy and effectiveness of biofeedback therapy
Essays in Finance and Macroeconomics: Household Financial Obligations and the Equity Premium
No full textabstract: This dissertation is a collection of three essays relating household financial obligations to asset prices. Financial obligations include both debt payments and other financial commitments.
In the first essay, I investigate how household financial obligations affect the equity premium. I modify the standard Mehra-Prescott (1985) consumption-based asset pricing model to resolve the equity risk premium puzzle. I focus on two channels: the preference channel and the borrowing constraints channel. Under reasonable parameterizations, my model generates equity risk premiums similar in magnitudes to those observed in U.S. data. Furthermore, I show that relaxing the borrowing constraint shrinks the equity risk premium.
In the Second essay, I test the predictability of excess market returns using the household financial obligations ratio. I show that deviations in the household financial obligations ratio from its long-run mean is a better forecaster of future market returns than alternative prediction variables. The results remain significant using either quarterly or annual data and are robust to out-of-sample tests.
In the third essay, I investigate whether the risk associated with household financial obligations is an economy-wide risk with the potential to explain fluctuations in the cross-section of stock returns. The multifactor model I propose, is a modification of the capital asset pricing model that includes the financial obligations ratio as a ``conditioning down" variable. The key finding is that there is an aggregate hedging demand for securities that pay off in periods characterized by higher levels of financial obligations ratios. The consistent pricing of financial obligations risk with a negative risk premium suggests that the financial obligations ratio acts as a state variable.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Economics 201
The Romanticization of Mental Illness and Substance Abuse in Young Adult Media
No full textabstract: The following creative project defends that, whether intentionally or not, mental illness and substance abuse are inevitably romanticized in young adult media and discusses the dangers of this romanticization. This project is divided into three parts. The first part consists of psychological evaluations of the main characters of two popular, contemporary forms of young adult media, Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger and Euphoria by Sam Levinson. These evaluations use textual evidence and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) to determine what symptoms of psychopathology the characters appear to display. The second part consists of a self-written short story that is meant to accurately depict the life of a young adult struggling with mental illness and substance abuse. This story contains various aesthetic techniques borrowed from the two young adult media forms. The final part consists of an aesthetic statement which discusses in depth the aesthetic techniques employed within the short story, Quicksand by Anisha Mehra. (abstract
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