Background. Thestudywas designedto investigatewhetherseasonal moodandbehavioural changesaredetect... more Background. Thestudywas designedto investigatewhetherseasonal moodandbehavioural changesaredetectableprospectivelyin a non-clinicalpopulationin the way they havebeen reportedin retrospectivestudies. The specificityof any seasonal fluctuationin affectivestate was alsoinvestigatedby measuringanxietyaswell asdepression. Method. To measure seasonal fluctuations in affect and behaviour prospectively, 25 women were interviewedeverymonthfor oneyearusingfour scales(depression, anxiety,stress,and behavioural change).Retrospectiveaccountsof mood and behaviourat the end of the year were collectedwith the SeasonalPatternandAssessmentQuestionnaire(SPAQ). Results. Seasonaldepressionpeaked in winter as did atypical behaviourwhen measured either prospectivelyor retrospectivel@@ but the differencebetween winter and summerwas muchmorepronouncedinthe retrospectivedata No seasonaleffect was foundfor anxietyor psychosocial stressors. Conclusions.The resultsobtainedby retrospective techniqueshavelimitedreliability. Infuture, more prospective studies with unbiased, standardised instruments are recommended to mea sure seasonalvariations in affect and behaviour. The influence of seasons and environment on human mood has been a central theme of writings on depression and mania since ancient times. Meth odological weaknesses associated with modern clinical and non-clinical studies about the seasonality of affect have limited the reliability of the conclu sions. Research on clinical levels of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) have relied upon samples of hospital patients, or people who responded to media advertisements. Most studies have, in fact, relied on the latter, where information was collected from research cohorts who self-selected for the presence of recurrent seasonal mood changes through descrip
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, Apr 21, 1998
Hospital admission statistics for depression and mania have shown significant seasonal patterns. ... more Hospital admission statistics for depression and mania have shown significant seasonal patterns. The present investigation was conducted to establish the pervasiveness of the impact of seasons on mood disorder presentation at Birmingham (52 degrees North) by gender and ethnicity. Non-mood disorder admissions were examined as a control to determine the specificity of any seasonal variation to affective illness. Case notes for 992 admissions, during January-December 1995 inclusive, to an inpatient unit were reviewed retrospectively. Admission data were broken down by gender and into three ethnic groups: Asian, white and black. Seasonality in admissions for depression, bipolar disorder and non-mood disorders was tested by gender and ethnicity. Admission frequencies for depression showed significant seasonal pattern, with the incidence of depression being highest in winter. Total admissions, bipolar and non-mood disorders did not show any significant seasonal variability. A gender effect was evident on seasonality of admissions for affective illness, with significant winter peak for depression and summer peak for bipolar disorder in women only. The Asian group was the only ethnic group that showed significant seasonal variation in depression, with a greater number of depressive episodes in winter. Environmental variables were related significantly to the incidence of mood disorders. Specific seasonal effect for affective illness was evidenced by the non-existence of seasonality in other psychiatric disorders. The reverse seasonal pattern for depression and mania suggests a maladaptive response of vulnerable individuals to specific functions of seasons.
... Dr Kausar Suhail, Head, Department of Psychology, GC University, Kechehry Road, Lahore, Pakis... more ... Dr Kausar Suhail, Head, Department of Psychology, GC University, Kechehry Road, Lahore, Pakistan. Dr Haroon Rashid Chaudhry, Head, Department of Psychiatry, Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan. Address ...
To ascertain the effect of gender, age, and religiosity on death anxiety, 132 participants were i... more To ascertain the effect of gender, age, and religiosity on death anxiety, 132 participants were interviewed using Templer Death Anxiety Scale and Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale (CLS). Women, older participants, and less religious participants were found to be more scared of their impending death. Gender effect was more pronounced, however, on the CLS. Women and less religious people reported to experience greater anxiety than their respective counterparts about different dimensions of death, for example, the shortness of life, total isolation of death, fear of not being, and disintegration of body after dying. The findings of the current work indicate that the general predictors of death anxiety, gender, age, and religiosity reported in Western, predominantly Christian samples also hold in an Eastern, Muslim sample.
The current study was conducted to develop the indigenous scales of family criticism and emotiona... more The current study was conducted to develop the indigenous scales of family criticism and emotional over involvement in Pakistani community in the context of expressed emotion theory. To generate items for the scales, four focus groups were conducted with students, housewives, class II, and class IV workers. To establish the psychometric properties, these scales were administered to a sample of 500 participants belonging to different socio-economic status, professions, residential areas, and both genders. Exploratory Factor Analysis generated two factors for Perceived Criticism Scale namely Cultural and
The present study is the pioneering attempt to examine the effects of high Expressed Emotion (EE)... more The present study is the pioneering attempt to examine the effects of high Expressed Emotion (EE) on health and burden of care among primary caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in Pakistan. Fifty two caregivers of inpatients, diagnosed with schizophrenia using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM- IV Axis 1 (SCID-1), were assessed for EE through Camberwell Family Interview (CFI). Three health measures including burden of care (Burden Assessment Scale, BAS), general health (General Health Questionnaire-12, GHQ-12) and physical health (Physical Health Checklist, PHC) were used to assess health status of caregivers. Burden Assessment Scale (BAS) was used to assess the link of burden of care with EE and health of the caregivers. High EE was found to have a significant negative effect on health and burden of care. Further analysis revealed high Emotional over Involvement (EOI) as a robust predictor of poor health and cause of high burden of care among primary caregivers of patients. Considering the negative impact of high EOI on burden of care and health status of the caregivers, there is a need for intervention programs aimed at reducing EOI and in turn EE for improving health and reducing burden of care in caregivers of patients with severe mental illnesses. Considering a higher frequency of mothers on all EE components, they require greater attention of mental health professionals.
The present study is the pioneering attempt to examine the effects of high Expressed Emotion (EE)... more The present study is the pioneering attempt to examine the effects of high Expressed Emotion (EE) on health and burden of care among primary caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in Pakistan. Fifty two caregivers of inpatients, diagnosed with schizophrenia using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM- IV Axis 1 (SCID-1), were assessed for EE through Camberwell Family Interview (CFI). Three health measures including burden of care (Burden Assessment Scale, BAS), general health (General Health Questionnaire-12, GHQ-12) and physical health (Physical Health Checklist, PHC) were used to assess health status of caregivers. Burden Assessment Scale (BAS) was used to assess the link of burden of care with EE and health of the caregivers. High EE was found to have a significant negative effect on health and burden of care. Further analysis revealed high Emotional over Involvement (EOI) as a robust predictor of poor health and cause of high burden of care among primary caregivers of patient...
This study investigated post-traumatic symptoms among survivors of the October 2005 earthquake in... more This study investigated post-traumatic symptoms among survivors of the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan. A total of 125 survivors who were admitted in different hospitals of Lahore city were interviewed using following measures: Detailed Assessment of Post-traumatic Stress (DAPS), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and Other Dimensions of Trauma (ODOT). Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out on the data. The respondents showed significantly higher scores on all subscales of the DAPS and GHQ. Women showed significantly greater symptoms of stress both at the DAPS and GHQ. Signifi cantly greater number of people were coping by crying and requesting God to forgive their sins. On the basis of current findings, both short and long-term counselling strategies were suggested for psychological rehabilitation of the victims.
The majority of the studies addressing human happiness have been conducted with Western Judeo-Chr... more The majority of the studies addressing human happiness have been conducted with Western Judeo-Christian cultures; other countries with different sociocultural milieus are underrepresented in research investigating this issue. The present work was undertaken to determine the prevalence and predictors of personal well-being in an Eastern Muslim culture, Pakistan. The study also aimed to compare the current ratings of subjective well-being with those obtained from other areas of the world. To make this survey representative of the vast majority of Pakistani people, a total of 1,000 people, with an age range of 16-80, living in diverse areas of Lahore (the provincial capital) were contacted. Ten localities ranging from upper-class areas to congested inner-city locations and to Kacchi Abadies (temporary houses built in caravan) were visited. Apart from demographic information, responses of the survey subjects were collected on multiple dimensions: personality traits, self-esteem, work satisfaction, marital satisfaction, religiosity, and social support. General well-being was assessed using Faces Scale and Ladder Scale of Life Satisfaction. The current findings, consistent with previous worldwide reports, showed that the number of happy people exceeds those who are unhappy, and also that Eastern people are as happy and satisfied as people from many Western countries. Work satisfaction, social support, religious affiliation, social class, income level, and marital status and satisfaction were found to be the better predictors of subjective well-being.
A cross-sectional study examined the relationship between three dimensions of the belief in a jus... more A cross-sectional study examined the relationship between three dimensions of the belief in a just world and the subjective well-being of Pakistani mothers of normal and Down syndrome children (n = 100 each). Personal belief in a just world and two dimensions of general belief in a just world-beliefs in immanent and ultimate justice-were assessed along with four dimensions of subjective well-being: life satisfaction, mood, state anxiety, and depression. It was hypothesized that personal belief in a just world and belief in ultimate justice would be positively associated with subjective well-being for both groups of mothers. Results were obtained through moderated regression analyses. In line with our hypothesis, personal belief in a just world positively predicted life satisfaction and mood level and negatively predicted state anxiety and depression in both groups of mothers. In contrast, beliefs in immanent and ultimate justice were not consistently adaptive. In particular, the more the mothers of a Down syndrome child believed in immanent justice, the more anxiety they experienced the previous week. In addition, the more the mothers of normal children believed in ultimate justice, the more they experienced anxiety. The pattern of results persisted when controlled for mothers' education, the total number of their children and marital status. Overall, the results support the role of personal belief in a just world as a personal resource in adverse as well as normal life circumstances.
This study was undertaken to investigate the positive and negative effects of excessive Internet ... more This study was undertaken to investigate the positive and negative effects of excessive Internet use on undergraduate students. The Internet Effect Scale (IES), especially constructed by the authors to determine these effects, consisted of seven dimensions namely: behavioral problems, interpersonal problems, educational problems, psychological problems, physical problems, Internet abuse, and positive effects. The sample consisted of 200 undergraduate students studying at the GC University Lahore, Pakistan. A set of Pearson Product Moment correlations showed positive associations between time spent on the Internet and various dimensions of the IES indicating that excessive Internet use can lead to a host of problems of educational, physical, psychological and interpersonal nature. However, a greater number of students reported positive than negative effects of Internet use. Without negating the advantages of Internet, the current findings suggest that Internet use should be within reasonable limits focusing more on activities enhancing one's productivity.
Background: The present study was conducted to compare the influence of culture and immediate env... more Background: The present study was conducted to compare the influence of culture and immediate environment on the phenomenology of schizophrenic symptoms by examining the actual content of delusions and hallucinations in three groups of schizophrenic patients. Method: Pakistanis living in Britain (BP; N = 53), Pakistanis in Pakistan (PP; N = 98) and British White (BW; N = 50). The content of the patients' delusions and hallucinations was obtained from medical records and key-workers' reports from All-Saints Hospital, Birmingham and two psychiatric units in Lahore. All references to delusions and hallucinations were coded in accordance with the classification scheme developed for the Present State Examination (Wing et al., 1974). Results: Comparisons indicated greater differences in phenomenology of delusions and hallucinations between the Pakistani pair (BP vs. PP) than between the British groups (BP vs. BW). The findings suggested a stronger influence of the immediate enviro...
This study determined the prevalence of Autism in special education schools of Lahore. Through in... more This study determined the prevalence of Autism in special education schools of Lahore. Through initial screening by using DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for Autism (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), 142 out of 1633 children were identified as the probable cases of Autism. Of these screened cases, the average rating of two independent raters on Child Autism Rating Scale (Schopler, Reichler, and Renner, 2002) showed that a total of 103 (6.31%) children satisfied the criteria of Autism. Poor social relationship was found to be the most prominent feature among all associated features of the disorder. On the basis of the findings, the need of separate schools offering specialized instructional and educational programs for children with Autism was suggested for the effective management of the disorder.
The seasonality of asthma exacerbations may reflect varying exposure to triggers. This study retr... more The seasonality of asthma exacerbations may reflect varying exposure to triggers. This study retrospectively analyzes the seasonality of asthma hospital admissions, at all ages, in a population-based study. Analysis of the seasonality of asthma admissions and correlation with temperature was carried out in the setting of a regional hospital covering all acute asthma admissions in an island population. Admissions were divided into pediatric (1994-8) and adult (1989-8) cases. Both pediatric (0-14 years; n = 2916) and adult (15-59 years; n = 1269) admissions showed a peak in January and a trough in August. The seasonality in pediatric admissions was far more pronounced than in adults. Both cohorts exhibited a second, smaller peak in spring. In school-aged children, the end of school in June was associated with a sharp (91%) drop in admissions, and restarting school in October was associated with an even sharper rise (165%). A negative correlation was found between admissions and mean monthly ambient temperatures, and this was most pronounced in the pediatric age groups. This marked seasonality may indicate that temperature is a proxy for the total time spent indoors. Both the start and end of school had a profound impact on pediatric admission rates. Prospective studies are necessary to establish the role of viral infections and the influence of indoor and outdoor aeroallergens on the seasonality of hospitalization rates for asthma in the local setting.
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 2017
Aim of the study is to evaluate the predictive power of Expressed Emotion in Schizophrenia relaps... more Aim of the study is to evaluate the predictive power of Expressed Emotion in Schizophrenia relapse in Pakistan. A longitudinal study was conducted comprising 53 in-patients' sample diagnosed with Schizophrenia and their 101 key carers. Participants fulfilled DSM-IV-TR criteria for Schizophrenia based on Structural Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV diagnosis. Symptomatic status was measured through Brief Psychiatric Rating Scales-Expanded (BPRS-E). Caregivers' level of EE was assessed through Camberwell Family Interview (CFI). Patients were followed up for 9 months after hospital discharge. Relapse rate for patients with high-EE household was 72% as compared with 36% in the low-EE household. Logistic Regression showed a positive relationship between high-EE and relapse (CI 0.06-0.80; p < 0.05). Both hostility and critical comments emerged as significant predictors of relapse. The odds ratio showed that a one unit increase in caregivers' score on the CCs and hostility scales were associated with a 1.29 (CI 1.06-1.56; p < 0.05) and 1.89 (CI 1.14-3.13; p < 0.05) times increased rate of relapse, respectively. Conversely, a non-significant relationship was observed between EOI and relapse. The findings from this study confirmed the validity of EE construct in predicting schizophrenia relapse in a Pakistani sample. However, medication compliance has not been experimentally controlled and that is one of the limitations of the study.
Background. Thestudywas designedto investigatewhetherseasonal moodandbehavioural changesaredetect... more Background. Thestudywas designedto investigatewhetherseasonal moodandbehavioural changesaredetectableprospectivelyin a non-clinicalpopulationin the way they havebeen reportedin retrospectivestudies. The specificityof any seasonal fluctuationin affectivestate was alsoinvestigatedby measuringanxietyaswell asdepression. Method. To measure seasonal fluctuations in affect and behaviour prospectively, 25 women were interviewedeverymonthfor oneyearusingfour scales(depression, anxiety,stress,and behavioural change).Retrospectiveaccountsof mood and behaviourat the end of the year were collectedwith the SeasonalPatternandAssessmentQuestionnaire(SPAQ). Results. Seasonaldepressionpeaked in winter as did atypical behaviourwhen measured either prospectivelyor retrospectivel@@ but the differencebetween winter and summerwas muchmorepronouncedinthe retrospectivedata No seasonaleffect was foundfor anxietyor psychosocial stressors. Conclusions.The resultsobtainedby retrospective techniqueshavelimitedreliability. Infuture, more prospective studies with unbiased, standardised instruments are recommended to mea sure seasonalvariations in affect and behaviour. The influence of seasons and environment on human mood has been a central theme of writings on depression and mania since ancient times. Meth odological weaknesses associated with modern clinical and non-clinical studies about the seasonality of affect have limited the reliability of the conclu sions. Research on clinical levels of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) have relied upon samples of hospital patients, or people who responded to media advertisements. Most studies have, in fact, relied on the latter, where information was collected from research cohorts who self-selected for the presence of recurrent seasonal mood changes through descrip
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, Apr 21, 1998
Hospital admission statistics for depression and mania have shown significant seasonal patterns. ... more Hospital admission statistics for depression and mania have shown significant seasonal patterns. The present investigation was conducted to establish the pervasiveness of the impact of seasons on mood disorder presentation at Birmingham (52 degrees North) by gender and ethnicity. Non-mood disorder admissions were examined as a control to determine the specificity of any seasonal variation to affective illness. Case notes for 992 admissions, during January-December 1995 inclusive, to an inpatient unit were reviewed retrospectively. Admission data were broken down by gender and into three ethnic groups: Asian, white and black. Seasonality in admissions for depression, bipolar disorder and non-mood disorders was tested by gender and ethnicity. Admission frequencies for depression showed significant seasonal pattern, with the incidence of depression being highest in winter. Total admissions, bipolar and non-mood disorders did not show any significant seasonal variability. A gender effect was evident on seasonality of admissions for affective illness, with significant winter peak for depression and summer peak for bipolar disorder in women only. The Asian group was the only ethnic group that showed significant seasonal variation in depression, with a greater number of depressive episodes in winter. Environmental variables were related significantly to the incidence of mood disorders. Specific seasonal effect for affective illness was evidenced by the non-existence of seasonality in other psychiatric disorders. The reverse seasonal pattern for depression and mania suggests a maladaptive response of vulnerable individuals to specific functions of seasons.
... Dr Kausar Suhail, Head, Department of Psychology, GC University, Kechehry Road, Lahore, Pakis... more ... Dr Kausar Suhail, Head, Department of Psychology, GC University, Kechehry Road, Lahore, Pakistan. Dr Haroon Rashid Chaudhry, Head, Department of Psychiatry, Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan. Address ...
To ascertain the effect of gender, age, and religiosity on death anxiety, 132 participants were i... more To ascertain the effect of gender, age, and religiosity on death anxiety, 132 participants were interviewed using Templer Death Anxiety Scale and Collett-Lester Fear of Death Scale (CLS). Women, older participants, and less religious participants were found to be more scared of their impending death. Gender effect was more pronounced, however, on the CLS. Women and less religious people reported to experience greater anxiety than their respective counterparts about different dimensions of death, for example, the shortness of life, total isolation of death, fear of not being, and disintegration of body after dying. The findings of the current work indicate that the general predictors of death anxiety, gender, age, and religiosity reported in Western, predominantly Christian samples also hold in an Eastern, Muslim sample.
The current study was conducted to develop the indigenous scales of family criticism and emotiona... more The current study was conducted to develop the indigenous scales of family criticism and emotional over involvement in Pakistani community in the context of expressed emotion theory. To generate items for the scales, four focus groups were conducted with students, housewives, class II, and class IV workers. To establish the psychometric properties, these scales were administered to a sample of 500 participants belonging to different socio-economic status, professions, residential areas, and both genders. Exploratory Factor Analysis generated two factors for Perceived Criticism Scale namely Cultural and
The present study is the pioneering attempt to examine the effects of high Expressed Emotion (EE)... more The present study is the pioneering attempt to examine the effects of high Expressed Emotion (EE) on health and burden of care among primary caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in Pakistan. Fifty two caregivers of inpatients, diagnosed with schizophrenia using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM- IV Axis 1 (SCID-1), were assessed for EE through Camberwell Family Interview (CFI). Three health measures including burden of care (Burden Assessment Scale, BAS), general health (General Health Questionnaire-12, GHQ-12) and physical health (Physical Health Checklist, PHC) were used to assess health status of caregivers. Burden Assessment Scale (BAS) was used to assess the link of burden of care with EE and health of the caregivers. High EE was found to have a significant negative effect on health and burden of care. Further analysis revealed high Emotional over Involvement (EOI) as a robust predictor of poor health and cause of high burden of care among primary caregivers of patients. Considering the negative impact of high EOI on burden of care and health status of the caregivers, there is a need for intervention programs aimed at reducing EOI and in turn EE for improving health and reducing burden of care in caregivers of patients with severe mental illnesses. Considering a higher frequency of mothers on all EE components, they require greater attention of mental health professionals.
The present study is the pioneering attempt to examine the effects of high Expressed Emotion (EE)... more The present study is the pioneering attempt to examine the effects of high Expressed Emotion (EE) on health and burden of care among primary caregivers of patients with schizophrenia in Pakistan. Fifty two caregivers of inpatients, diagnosed with schizophrenia using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM- IV Axis 1 (SCID-1), were assessed for EE through Camberwell Family Interview (CFI). Three health measures including burden of care (Burden Assessment Scale, BAS), general health (General Health Questionnaire-12, GHQ-12) and physical health (Physical Health Checklist, PHC) were used to assess health status of caregivers. Burden Assessment Scale (BAS) was used to assess the link of burden of care with EE and health of the caregivers. High EE was found to have a significant negative effect on health and burden of care. Further analysis revealed high Emotional over Involvement (EOI) as a robust predictor of poor health and cause of high burden of care among primary caregivers of patient...
This study investigated post-traumatic symptoms among survivors of the October 2005 earthquake in... more This study investigated post-traumatic symptoms among survivors of the October 2005 earthquake in Pakistan. A total of 125 survivors who were admitted in different hospitals of Lahore city were interviewed using following measures: Detailed Assessment of Post-traumatic Stress (DAPS), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) and Other Dimensions of Trauma (ODOT). Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were carried out on the data. The respondents showed significantly higher scores on all subscales of the DAPS and GHQ. Women showed significantly greater symptoms of stress both at the DAPS and GHQ. Signifi cantly greater number of people were coping by crying and requesting God to forgive their sins. On the basis of current findings, both short and long-term counselling strategies were suggested for psychological rehabilitation of the victims.
The majority of the studies addressing human happiness have been conducted with Western Judeo-Chr... more The majority of the studies addressing human happiness have been conducted with Western Judeo-Christian cultures; other countries with different sociocultural milieus are underrepresented in research investigating this issue. The present work was undertaken to determine the prevalence and predictors of personal well-being in an Eastern Muslim culture, Pakistan. The study also aimed to compare the current ratings of subjective well-being with those obtained from other areas of the world. To make this survey representative of the vast majority of Pakistani people, a total of 1,000 people, with an age range of 16-80, living in diverse areas of Lahore (the provincial capital) were contacted. Ten localities ranging from upper-class areas to congested inner-city locations and to Kacchi Abadies (temporary houses built in caravan) were visited. Apart from demographic information, responses of the survey subjects were collected on multiple dimensions: personality traits, self-esteem, work satisfaction, marital satisfaction, religiosity, and social support. General well-being was assessed using Faces Scale and Ladder Scale of Life Satisfaction. The current findings, consistent with previous worldwide reports, showed that the number of happy people exceeds those who are unhappy, and also that Eastern people are as happy and satisfied as people from many Western countries. Work satisfaction, social support, religious affiliation, social class, income level, and marital status and satisfaction were found to be the better predictors of subjective well-being.
A cross-sectional study examined the relationship between three dimensions of the belief in a jus... more A cross-sectional study examined the relationship between three dimensions of the belief in a just world and the subjective well-being of Pakistani mothers of normal and Down syndrome children (n = 100 each). Personal belief in a just world and two dimensions of general belief in a just world-beliefs in immanent and ultimate justice-were assessed along with four dimensions of subjective well-being: life satisfaction, mood, state anxiety, and depression. It was hypothesized that personal belief in a just world and belief in ultimate justice would be positively associated with subjective well-being for both groups of mothers. Results were obtained through moderated regression analyses. In line with our hypothesis, personal belief in a just world positively predicted life satisfaction and mood level and negatively predicted state anxiety and depression in both groups of mothers. In contrast, beliefs in immanent and ultimate justice were not consistently adaptive. In particular, the more the mothers of a Down syndrome child believed in immanent justice, the more anxiety they experienced the previous week. In addition, the more the mothers of normal children believed in ultimate justice, the more they experienced anxiety. The pattern of results persisted when controlled for mothers' education, the total number of their children and marital status. Overall, the results support the role of personal belief in a just world as a personal resource in adverse as well as normal life circumstances.
This study was undertaken to investigate the positive and negative effects of excessive Internet ... more This study was undertaken to investigate the positive and negative effects of excessive Internet use on undergraduate students. The Internet Effect Scale (IES), especially constructed by the authors to determine these effects, consisted of seven dimensions namely: behavioral problems, interpersonal problems, educational problems, psychological problems, physical problems, Internet abuse, and positive effects. The sample consisted of 200 undergraduate students studying at the GC University Lahore, Pakistan. A set of Pearson Product Moment correlations showed positive associations between time spent on the Internet and various dimensions of the IES indicating that excessive Internet use can lead to a host of problems of educational, physical, psychological and interpersonal nature. However, a greater number of students reported positive than negative effects of Internet use. Without negating the advantages of Internet, the current findings suggest that Internet use should be within reasonable limits focusing more on activities enhancing one's productivity.
Background: The present study was conducted to compare the influence of culture and immediate env... more Background: The present study was conducted to compare the influence of culture and immediate environment on the phenomenology of schizophrenic symptoms by examining the actual content of delusions and hallucinations in three groups of schizophrenic patients. Method: Pakistanis living in Britain (BP; N = 53), Pakistanis in Pakistan (PP; N = 98) and British White (BW; N = 50). The content of the patients' delusions and hallucinations was obtained from medical records and key-workers' reports from All-Saints Hospital, Birmingham and two psychiatric units in Lahore. All references to delusions and hallucinations were coded in accordance with the classification scheme developed for the Present State Examination (Wing et al., 1974). Results: Comparisons indicated greater differences in phenomenology of delusions and hallucinations between the Pakistani pair (BP vs. PP) than between the British groups (BP vs. BW). The findings suggested a stronger influence of the immediate enviro...
This study determined the prevalence of Autism in special education schools of Lahore. Through in... more This study determined the prevalence of Autism in special education schools of Lahore. Through initial screening by using DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for Autism (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), 142 out of 1633 children were identified as the probable cases of Autism. Of these screened cases, the average rating of two independent raters on Child Autism Rating Scale (Schopler, Reichler, and Renner, 2002) showed that a total of 103 (6.31%) children satisfied the criteria of Autism. Poor social relationship was found to be the most prominent feature among all associated features of the disorder. On the basis of the findings, the need of separate schools offering specialized instructional and educational programs for children with Autism was suggested for the effective management of the disorder.
The seasonality of asthma exacerbations may reflect varying exposure to triggers. This study retr... more The seasonality of asthma exacerbations may reflect varying exposure to triggers. This study retrospectively analyzes the seasonality of asthma hospital admissions, at all ages, in a population-based study. Analysis of the seasonality of asthma admissions and correlation with temperature was carried out in the setting of a regional hospital covering all acute asthma admissions in an island population. Admissions were divided into pediatric (1994-8) and adult (1989-8) cases. Both pediatric (0-14 years; n = 2916) and adult (15-59 years; n = 1269) admissions showed a peak in January and a trough in August. The seasonality in pediatric admissions was far more pronounced than in adults. Both cohorts exhibited a second, smaller peak in spring. In school-aged children, the end of school in June was associated with a sharp (91%) drop in admissions, and restarting school in October was associated with an even sharper rise (165%). A negative correlation was found between admissions and mean monthly ambient temperatures, and this was most pronounced in the pediatric age groups. This marked seasonality may indicate that temperature is a proxy for the total time spent indoors. Both the start and end of school had a profound impact on pediatric admission rates. Prospective studies are necessary to establish the role of viral infections and the influence of indoor and outdoor aeroallergens on the seasonality of hospitalization rates for asthma in the local setting.
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 2017
Aim of the study is to evaluate the predictive power of Expressed Emotion in Schizophrenia relaps... more Aim of the study is to evaluate the predictive power of Expressed Emotion in Schizophrenia relapse in Pakistan. A longitudinal study was conducted comprising 53 in-patients' sample diagnosed with Schizophrenia and their 101 key carers. Participants fulfilled DSM-IV-TR criteria for Schizophrenia based on Structural Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV diagnosis. Symptomatic status was measured through Brief Psychiatric Rating Scales-Expanded (BPRS-E). Caregivers' level of EE was assessed through Camberwell Family Interview (CFI). Patients were followed up for 9 months after hospital discharge. Relapse rate for patients with high-EE household was 72% as compared with 36% in the low-EE household. Logistic Regression showed a positive relationship between high-EE and relapse (CI 0.06-0.80; p < 0.05). Both hostility and critical comments emerged as significant predictors of relapse. The odds ratio showed that a one unit increase in caregivers' score on the CCs and hostility scales were associated with a 1.29 (CI 1.06-1.56; p < 0.05) and 1.89 (CI 1.14-3.13; p < 0.05) times increased rate of relapse, respectively. Conversely, a non-significant relationship was observed between EOI and relapse. The findings from this study confirmed the validity of EE construct in predicting schizophrenia relapse in a Pakistani sample. However, medication compliance has not been experimentally controlled and that is one of the limitations of the study.
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