Psychology

Substance use disorders include substance abuse and substance dependence. Abuse refers to a maladaptive pattern of substance use not amounting to dependence, but lending to harmful consequences in personal, situational, social and interpersonal areas. The term substance dependence is related to physiological and behavioral symptoms of substance use. It is a cluster of physiological, behavioral and cognitive phenomena in which the use of a substance or a class of substances takes on a much higher priority for a given individual than other behaviors that once had greater value. Substance abuse may lead to addiction or substance dependence. Dependence almost always implies abuse, but abuse frequently occurs without dependence, particularly when an individual first begins to abuse a substance. Dependence involves physiological processes while substance abuse reflects a complex interaction between the individual, the abused substance and society. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of general self-efficacy, stressful events, style of coping and perceived support in a group of treated alcohol dependents but currently having a relapse to determine whether or not they differ from non-relapsed, on any of the measures. In sample, one group consists of forty patients who were diagnosed as ADS according to ICD – 10 criteria and currently either admitted at Alcohol De-addiction Centers, or seen at the OP Clinic for a relapse formed the experimental group (RLPS Group). In second group of forty patients who were met ADS criteria and currently abstinent for more than one year formed the control group (N-RLPS Group). The tools used in this study are Michigan Alcohol Screening Test, The General Self-Efficacy Scale, Presumptive stressful life events scale, Ways of Coping scale (revised) and Multi dimensional Scale of perceived social support were used for both the groups. The results indicated that, statistically significant positive correlation found between social support on self efficacy and significant negative correlation found between social support and stressful life events. It provided further evidence in support of the importance of certain clinical and psychosocial factors in relapse in substance dependence.

The impact of cancer and associated treatment like radiotherapy and chemo radiation cause psychological illness such as anxiety, depression and distress. The present study evaluated whether radiotherapy and disease stages influence the psychological problem among cervical cancer patient. Eighty cervical cancer patients randomly selected from various hospital in Chennai. Each individual assessed with Hamilton anxiety scale (HAM-A), Hamilton depression scale (HAM-D). Data were analyzed by t –test. The results indicated that anxiety and depression were significantly difference among treatment modalities but anxiety and depression were not influence the disease stages. Psychological problems affect the cancer patient in aspects of family, social, emotional and total quality of life. With consideration of patients psychological intervention is necessary throughout and beyond radiotherapy for cervical cancer patients.

This paper is deliberate the psycho study in earthquake affected area in Nepal. Earthquake is one of the fatal natural disasters we have regularly experienced. Nepal and its adjacent areas are vulnerable to very high magnitude of earthquake. On the basis of investigation it has been found that recent earthquakes had destructed many human lives and their properties in Nepal and north India. The earthquake was considered to be the main cause for avalanches, landslides, slumps, many creaks and fissures in the adjacent area of Nepal. The study endeavors to examine the nature, extent, causes and consequences of the tremor of quakes.

Autism is one disorder among a spectrum of disorders known as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). It is a general term that describes mental ailments that has diverse symptoms and characteristics. These include; restricted/repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests, and activities during the early developmental period. Others exhibit hyperactivity, aggression and anxiety. The individual’s functionality is impaired requiring early intervention. Anxiety is a common comorbid and if left untreated affects the social functionality in ASD. This study looked at the proportion and levels of severity of the anxiety in a sample of 80 school children and adolescents with ASD. The goal of this study was to determine the levels, proportions and severity of anxiety among children presenting with ASD. The sample of 80 children and adolescents with ASD were observed and rated by their parents/teachers/caregivers using the Child and Adolescent Symptom Inventory (CASI) to measure anxiety. Eighty four percent of the total sample met cut-off criteria of at least one anxiety disorder. Anxiety was associated with poor coping skills and greater impairments in social reciprocity. Anxiety is a common comorbid in ASD which requires clinical assessment and treatment. It is important to those who deal with children and adolescent with ASD to understand the symptoms and management of anxiety both in school and other settings (home, social places).

Depression is a serious mental disease that affects both young and old people in the society. Depressed people harbor negative thoughts, and this makes them perceive life issues negatively. Depression is common among university students and despite the methods provided for its intervention, the prevalence of depression among university students remain higher than in the general population. The objective of this study was to determine and compare the current prevalence of depression among engineering students at the University of Nairobi and at the Technical University of Kenya. A quasi-experimental research design was adopted, where two Kenyan public universities were conveniently sampled. Engineering students from the University of Nairobi and those from The Technical University of Kenya who were studying undergraduate degree in any engineering courses were sampled for the study. The study data was collected using questionnaires and the Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI). The prevalence of depression was determined through proportions obtained from the data from the BDI in the two different universities. The findings indicated that 66.4% of the respondents from University of Nairobi had no depression, 16.9% registered moderate depression levels, 15.5% had mild depression, while 1.2% of the respondents exhibited severe depression. Further, results revealed that 67.1% of the respondents from Technical University of Kenya exhibited had no depression, 16.9% registered mild depression levels, 14.8% had moderate depression, while 1.2% of the respondents exhibited severe depression. The study concluded that about a third of the students studying engineering degree courses at the University of Nairobi and at the Technical University of Kenya are currently going through different levels of depression ranging from mild, moderate and severe depression. The implication of the findings is that depression is a serious concern among university students and therefore should not be ignored.

Studies have shown that alcohol use is a vice that has serious effects on the users. However use of the substance has been found to be highly prevalent among various populations including University students. In order to ascertain this assertion, this study examined the prevalence of alcohol use among the students of Mount Kenya University, Kenya. Data was collected from a population of 258 participants from Mount Kenya University who were between 18-26 years of age. The sample of the study comprised of 126 undergraduate students from the said university. This sample was selected using stratified purposeful sampling method. The instrument that was used for screening alcohol use among the students was the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). Participants who scored 7 or less in AUDIT were considered to have low risk to AUD, hence they were casual and social drinkers whereas, those who scored 8 and above were diagnosed to exhibit alcohol use disorder. The distribution of participants’ gender scores showed that male participants who had AUD were higher at 10.9% as opposed female participants who had AUD at 5.5%. The frequency of participants who scored 7 or less were higher (215, 83.7%) compared to those who scored 8 or above on AUDIT (42, 16.3%). Therefore, the prevalence of alcohol use disorder among the students of Mount Kenya University was 16.3%. Recommendations were made for stakeholders to arrange for strategic therapeutic activities for different groups of students and especially those that are almost graduating from University.

Teaching is a time – honored process and the teacher is now trying to look for better content presentation skills in the light of recent tendencies to reach theory of teaching through practice in the field of learning. The day of teacher’s exclusive concern with presentation of knowledge on Herbartion lines to form apperceptive mass in the minds of learners has come under careful scrutiny by researchers like J.Piaget, D. Ausuble and Guilford. Now cognitive learning is being understood with greater insight and content presentation has become more thoughtful and technical. The practitioners have gone beyond the organization of concepts in the mind of the learner through presentation techniques. But that is not enough. How the learner moves from his personal concrete experience to reflective observation, abstract conceptualization and active experimentation of it in real life situation is the new constructivist schemata which compels the thoughtful teacher to travel from his ivory tower of presentation teaching to the earth rooted learner’s constructivist approach to learning.

The purpose of the study was to predict the playing ability in Kabaddi from selected Anthropometrical, Physical, physiological and psychological variables among College level Players. One hundred and twenty six male inter collegiate Kabaddi players were randomly selected from various colleges in Tamilnadu state, India and their age ranged between 18 and 28 years. The subjects had past playing experience of at least three years in Kabaddi and only those who represented their respective college teams were taken as subjects. A series of anthropometrical measurements was carried out on each participant. These included Standing height measured by Stadiometer; Body weight measured by weighing machine, Two Length measurements - Arm length, Leg length, measured by Lufkin Anthropometric Tape. The data were collected by following standard testing protocol of International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry. Physical fitness components were measured by the following tests. Speed were assessed by 50 meter dash, Flexibility assessed by Sit and reach test, Leg explosive strength assessed by Standing broad jump, Muscular power assessed by Modified sit – ups and Muscular endurance assessed by 2.4 km run. The Physiological parameters namely Resting heart rate by Digitalized heart rate monitor, Peak expiratory flow rate was assessed by Peak flow meter and Breath holding time was assessed by Manual nose clip method.

One of the objectives of positive psychology approach is identifying and defining concepts that help to provide individual's health, happiness and a healthy life. One of these concepts is quality of life which is predicted in this study based on three variable including psychological capital, emotional intelligence and participation in decision making. This research is correlational. The population of this study includes staff of National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company who worked in 2013. 440 individuals were selected based on simple random sampling and responded to research questionnaires. Results pointed to a positive and significant relationship between emotional intelligence, participation in decision making and psychological capital with quality of life and these three variables predicted quality of life. Enhancement of emotional intelligence, participation in decision making and psychological capital will lead to increase in employee's quality of life.

The attached paper is my two cents worth on emotional intelligence and professional commitment. Emerging interdisciplinary research and studies from education, business, psychology, and behavioral medicine are showing clear and significant contributions of emotional intelligence to human performance, personal health, and resilience. Emotional knowledge, skills, and intelligence hold a major key to improving education and helping students, teachers, faculty, and student development professionals attain higher degrees of achievement, career success, leadership, and personal well-being. The learned ability of emotional intelligence integrates well with the student development model of education and the historical values of the student personnel point of view. There are many important issues and challenges facing education at the public school and higher education levels. While academic achievement and scholastic performance have been the primary thrust of recent reform efforts, other equally important issues have taken center stage in education. Physical safety, healthy emotional development, standards of excellence and equalitarianism, a global economy and world perspective, changing workforce demands and the nature of work, multi-cultural and diversity issues, retention through graduation, and personal/career needs of students and educators are just a few examples.