Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a complex group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by triad of impairments in communication skills, social skills and repetitive behaviour. Research on this category of developmental disorders is still in a nascent stage in India This review article collates information on research done on ASD in India.

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Community mental health services support or treat people with mental health difficulties in a domiciliary setting, instead of a psychiatric hospital (asylum). This is a system of care in which the patient's community, not a psychiatric facility, is the primary provider of care. These services vary from country to country. The goal of community mental health services is much more than simply providing outpatient psychiatric treatment. The present article discusses the history, and the pros and cons of community psychiatry movement.

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Harry Stack Sullivan was one of the most important seminal thinkers in American psychiatry. His period was marked by intense excitement over psychoanalysis and the emergence of sociology and anthropology as fields of thought and endeavour. He synthesized the contemporary ideas of psychiatry and social science together to form what has been called "social psychiatry." He was one of the first stalwarts in the field of community mental health movement.

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This guest editorial deals with the importance of the social responsibility and the social involvement of the mental health professionals, particularly the psychiatrists, from the point of view of preventive psychiatry. It questions the wisdom of psychiatrists in focussing too much on the psychopathology of the major psychiatric disorders, at the expense of the lesser ones which the majority of the populations is exposed to; it is critical of such kind of training which the undergraduate students are made to undergo. The editorial has highlighted the importance of the role of the mental health professionals in such important areas as the implementation of the anti ragging laws, or the filing of the Public Interest Litigations in the courts of law against blatant abuse of the media in the glorification of suicides leading to more deaths of vulnerable youngsters. The editorial has also pointed out the need for the mental health professionals to come out into the society and make their presence felt so as to avoid the unqualified charlatans from taking advantage of the population, in the name of psychological services.

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This editorial is written with an intention to increase awareness regarding peer review process. When I approached my colleagues requesting them to take up the responsibility of peer review for APJ Psychol Med, they were hesitant. The reasons could be: a busy schedule, other competing demands, lack of awareness, and so on. So I thought of making the same the subject of the editorial... peer review, the buzz word in scientific communities. The fact that an individual is invited as a reviewer means that such a person has a professional standing, is academically sound, competent and most importantly, in the editor's view, can do justice to that role. This editorial caters to biomedical research. This is by no means an exhaustive account. I have not discussed aspects like ‘how to write the review’, ‘qualities of a good reviewer’, and so on. Readers are encouraged to dwell deeper into the subject.

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We all talk about stress, but we are not very clear about what it is! Stress may result from both desirable and undesirable events in life. It is not possible to imagine life without stress, as it is a part and parcel of everybody's life. Stress is a source of problem only when we cannot cope up with it. Individuals may react differently to the same stressful situation. Thus it is our perception and reaction to the event which determines the stress, rather than the event itself. One's reaction to stress can affect his mental and physical health; so it is very important to learn how to deal effectively with stress as it occurs.

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The situation in India with regards to dementia prevalence has not been researched thoroughly though there have been indications of prevalence according to the 10/66 Dementia study which was conducted in seven low and middle income countries in eleven sites which included both rural and urban India. The population trend projects to a rise from 5.63% of older adults in 1961 to 6.58% in 1991 reaching 7.5 per cent in 2001. Men between the age group of 75 - 79 years and women of same age group account to 57% and 157% of dementia sufferers respectively. This figure rises to 11% and 294% when the age group of 80 years and above is considered. The educational background, social status, urban / rural living, understanding of assessment process and validation of the assessment tools used are to be taken into account when diagnosing somebody with dementia. Large families living together for generations in the same house provide supportive care to the elderly they also are affected by the carer burden. This in turn has an effect on the negative economy due to lack of income generation by that member of family in addition to the psychosocial stress faced by them. India is currently spending INR 0.15 to 160 billion per year for care of people with dementia. It is predicted that the current number of people with dementia would double by 2030 (3.69 million to 7.61 million) and the immediate consequence would be that the cost of care would also double.

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Background: Psychiatric services in India are limited. As a result, a variety of people including faith healers, unqualified medical professionals etc, form first line of contact for patients with mental illness. Also, faith in the medical model of psychiatric illness may be shattered during course of treatment owing to chronicity of illness. Aim: This study was planned to understand the factors which lead the patients to faith healers and to assess the percentage of patients switching over to faith healers from medical professionals. Methods: A hospital based study was conducted at Institute of Mental Health, Hyderabad on patients visiting outpatient department using a semi structured questionnaire. The data was analysed using Microsoft excel version. Only the prevalence was estimated. Results: Among 98 people who were included in the study, males predominated. The socio demographic factors which had impact on patients approaching faith healer were; age less than 35 years, literacy, and family income. Urban or rural background did not have much impact on patients contacting faith healers. Patients consulting non psychiatric medical professionals have higher switch compared to those consulting psychiatrists. Conclusion: There is a need to increase awareness regarding psychiatry among non-psychiatrists, with an effective referral system in place. Awareness programmes also should be targeted to general population.

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We all know that only around 20 to 25% of psychiatric patients are getting proper modern treatment. This is mostly because of lack of awareness, stigma and their perception or misperception towards treatment as dangerous and waste. So in bringing awareness and for changing their perceptions, media has an important role to play.

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Background: The proportion of the patients attending the psychiatric consultation, once the disorder is recognized is limited. Lack of adequate knowledge regarding mental illnesses and help seeking attitude from other methods like faith healers, priests are the common reasons for delay in psychiatric consultation. This delay has a reasonable effect on the prognosis of the illness. Aim: To study the delay and reasons for the delay in first psychiatric consultation, and their relation to socio-demographic variables. Methods: A semi structured interview containing socio demographic variables and the reasons for delay is used to assess the patients attending psychiatric outpatient department of Mamata General Hospital. The diagnosis was made according to ICD-10 diagnostic criteria. Results: Out of 100 patients assessed in the study, the most common reasons for delay in psychiatric consultation were ignorance about the illness, belief in magical and religious methods. Stigma towards psychiatric illnesses, financial problems, caregivers' education also influence the delay duration. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the need for awareness in the population regarding psychiatric disorders for a better outcome of the illness.

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