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Wednesday, December 21, 2022
Schizophrenia And Its Connection To Paranoia | Online Docs
Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Family Life and Mental Health | Online Docs
Everyone knows the adage: Humans are social animals. Since humans evolved from early primates, they have been part of a social hierarchy. Even the other primates’ humans are related to following a similar social structure. Monkeys, chimpanzees, and even gorillas have distinct social and family structures. Humans, therefore, are hardwired to form social bonds and live with each other as a family.
Throughout history, people and cultures have placed huge importance on families. The family unit is so important that people built entire cultures around it. But what mental stress do these relations place on the people in these families?
Mental health is a fairly broad and nuanced topic that covers various aspects. It can refer to mental stress, which is becoming quite common nowadays. It may also refer to other more serious topics such as mental disorders. People struggling with mental health issues can rely on their families for support.This article examines how a family unit can help its members manage their mental health productively.
What is a Family?
A family is the most basic unit of the human society. The Oxford Dictionary calls a group of parents and children living together, a family. This is, of course, only a textbook definition. A family is any group with whom a person feels a strong emotional connection.
Some people have a strained relationship with their parents and live away from them, but that is also considered a family. Others may not have children and lead happy and contented lives. These are all very valid and acceptable forms of families.
A person can have multiple families depending on the view point. There is the family one is born into - with parents and possibly siblings. As people grow, they may have roommates and make friends. This, too, is a kind of a family - maybe for a short duration, but a kind of family, nonetheless. As people grow and find romantic love, they can start a family of their own with their partners. So, the term ‘family’ can mean whatever a person may want it to mean.
Mental Health Issues Among Families
Family is the basic building block of society. Every individual relies on his/her family from time to time for guidance and love.
Mental health of couples
Maintaining a romantic relationship can be quite tricky. Being in a committed relationship requires people to open up on a deeply personal level. Such a level of intimacy may be challenging for some people. But it can be even harder for people with a mental disorder. There are many reasons for this.
For one, some mental disorders may make it difficult to form meaningful relations. Secondly, there is an unfortunate stigma toward mental disorders in society.
One of the most common reasons behind mental disorders is the stress of modern living. Many people struggle to maintain a balance between their personal life and work. The stress of balancing another person’s emotional needs on top of their own might be taxing. As a result, people may develop some early symptoms of mental health issues like depression or mood disorders.
But it is important to understand how to be helpful in such times. It may help to talk to one’s partner about stresses and struggles in life. Taking a break away from one’s usual surroundings can also work wonders. But if these small changes do not help, it may be time for professional intervention.
Mental health issues among parents and children
Most people indeed think parenting is a great blessing. But, becoming a parent is a huge responsibility for several reasons. A parent is responsible for how their child learns and develops. Children can pick up a lot of habits by observing and copying their parents. So, parents lead lives with dual responsibilities. But being responsible for another human being can quickly become quite stressful. It can build up quickly, especially if one is mentally under-prepared for parenthood.
Everyone wants to provide a healthy and happy home for their children. But it can be challenging, especially if one of the parents is living with a mental disorder. People struggling with depression or anxiety issues can find parenting quite difficult. Seeing their parents struggle can have a negative impact on the children. Thus, it is important to talk about mental health issues in a family and make the children understand it. The first step in managing mental disorders is to talk about them openly.
Mental disorders can be quite disruptive to a family dynamic. If these conditions are ignored, they can grow to an almost unmanageable level. In a family with children, this can have quite a disastrous impact. Parents and children need to normalize talking about these issues.
How to support parents’ mental health
There is a lot of information on the internet supporting children’s mental health needs. Everyone agrees that this is an essential aspect of parenting. Children, being young and naive, may not always be able to express their needs properly and extra care needs to be taken. But parenting can be a very challenging task too. Being a parent takes its toll on a person’s mental well-being. It is important to understand the stress of parenting and address those needs also.
Parents of newborn children mostly experience high levels of stress. It can be a huge task to provide a quality life to a child. Their energy and erratic sleep schedules can wreak havoc on parents’ mental health. Even as they grow, children can be difficult to handle. Communicating and disciplining a child can be almost impossible for some people. All these tasks are challenging enough not considering the mental health issues of the parents. It becomes a mountainous task to take care one’s as well as a child’s mental health needs.
There are mental health experts who can help parents with such problems. Psychologists who specialize in helping children can also assist parents with various issues. They can suggest mental health exercises and routines that can relieve stress as a family. Seeking help from qualified professionals can improve the parenting experience.
How To Support Children’s Mental Health
A child’s mind is a very malleable thing. Children can pick up on behavioral and other cues from their parents. A child’s family is often their first school, in a sense, and it influences their personality greatly. Seeing parents stressed and in a negative mindset influencechildren’s attitude too. In some cases, such stressful issues early in the lives can have a long-lasting impact on children.
As medical and mental health sciences advance, researchers know more about mental disorders. Research suggests that mental issues like ASD and ADHD show symptoms quite early. Modern psychological tools can predict such mental issues in children quite accurately. With such early detection, parents can be better equipped to support their children. Parents can take many steps to support their children’s special needs.
Parents can consult specialists and experts to understand their children’s behavioral issues.Talking about such mental health issues often helps children feel welcome and happy. Professional medical advice can yield the best results for children in such cases.
How Family Structures Influence a Child’s Behaviors
Strong evidence suggests that children who grow up in a beautiful family arehappier and healthier. Painful experiences like separation or divorce affect children negatively. Various researchers studying these topics have found evidence to back these claims.
The study was published in the Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 2012 and was done on 154 children admitted in a children’s behavioral center. According to the research, only 11% of these kids came from intact families. The stress of living through a separation or divorce impacted these children negatively. Children coming from single-parent homes showed more advanced symptoms of mental health issues like ADHD, etc. in the study.
All this is not to discourage people from ending unhappy relationships. But such research does caution parents about family structure. Children are naturally vulnerable to various external influences. A strong and stable family environment may be the rock they need in their lives. Parents play a huge role in providing this safe and secure household for their children.
Violence Or Abuse in Families and Its Effect
As mentioned earlier, there is deep rooted stigma against mental disorders. People living with mental health issues need help and support of their families. But there is a misconception in the society that these people are prone to violence. No evidence suggests that people with mental health issues are more violent. They are more likely to harm themselves than others. Hence, people with mental health issues look toward others for support.
However, violence and abuse in families is an unfortunate reality in society. People with or without mental health issues are capable of violent acts. Violence and abuse can take many forms. It may not even be physical harm, but that is also quite common. Abuse by one’s intimate partner can cause psychological or emotional trauma.Around 33% of women and 25% of men experience intimate partner violence.
Supporting a Family Member Dealing with Abuse
Identifying signs of abuse can be hard, almost impossible in some cases. It may be healthier to leave an abusive relationship, but here are challenges to it.Survivors fear social exclusion and retribution, if they do come out with the evidence. There may be cultural taboos that may prevent someone from walking out of an abusive family life. Abusers often apply financial and emotional stress to prevent survivors from leaving. Therefore, handling such matters and supporting survivors can be a complicated affair.
Survivors can often feel lonely or isolated due to the violence they experience. People who wish to help can start by offering love and support. It helps survivors feel more comfortable opening up about their trauma. Survivors should be encouraged to put themselves and their needs first. It helps build their confidence to stand up to the abuse. Seek professional help when handling cases of domestic abuse and involve legal experts as well.
Conclusion:
A family is the most basic social structure for humans. People often rely on their families to support and guide them through tough times. Families can play a huge role in helping people’s mental health. A healthy and open dialogue about mental health can help adults and children in a family.
Monday, October 17, 2022
Common Mental Health Disorder Affecting Children | Online Docs
Children are the building blocks of any society. Their mental health and well-being are our future, and we need to secure it. In today’s world, mental health problems affects both adults and children. The number of children suffering from mental health disorders is increasing exponentially which needs to be pondered upon. Good mental health cannot be defined as a happy, smiling child, for many problems are toodeep-rooted to be seen on the face.
Some children might be born with mental health
disorders like ADHD, ASD, etc. which, affect them their whole life. They
would need proper care at every point in their life to function like any other
human.
Attention
Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Most
people are familiar with the term ADHD or at the very least, have heard of it.
It is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects various people. The symptoms
of ADHD become the most apparent among school-going kids. As many as 6 million
children live with ADHD as of 2019.
As
the name suggests, ADHD is characterized by a reduced attention span. Children
with ADHD are more likely than others to lose focus on any activity. They have
a hyperactive brain which makes it difficult for them to focus. People should
bear in mind that children are generally more active than adults but,not all
kids who cannot concentrate in school have ADHD.
It
is important to observe the symptoms and catch them early. The sooner these
cases are brought to light, the more effectively they can be managed. Qualified
psychologists can evaluate a case and suggest a course of treatment. There are
treatment options that use behavioral and occupational therapy. These aim to
help people overcome the symptoms and develop necessary life skills. Medical
treatment may also be an option for some.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Autism
is another fairly common condition that affects many people. Earlier it was
considered a unique condition. However, research suggests a wide spectrum of
mental health conditions. Statistics indicate that ASD affects as many as 2.3%
of US children under 8 years. Like ADHD, it is a neurological condition, and
its symptoms typically show up early.
It
can present itself in several forms, and its symptoms can vary in intensity.
Many people with ASD have difficulty maintaining social interactions. It may
not be the same as social anxiety, but it may present similarly. People with
ASD can develop inflexible habits that may interfere with their lives. They may
find it difficult to maintain a lengthy conversation.
People
with ASD often have to live with the condition throughout their lives. That is
not to say that there are no options. There are various promising options
available to help people with ASD.Psychologists can study a possible case of
ASD and draw up a management plan. They can suggest mental and behavioral
exercises that can help manage symptoms. In some instances, they may even
recommend a course of medical treatment.
Eating
Disorders
While
maintaining physical health is important, there are limits to the human body.People
are constantly flooded with images of the ‘ideal body type’. Such a constant
stream of information is bound to have an impact. Many fit people have become
obsessed with achieving an impossible beauty standard. It can affect adults as
well as children, typically teenagers.
Research
suggests that around 1% of the US population lives with eating disorders. There
are various types of eating disorders, most commonly anorexia and bulimia. They
stem from a negative body image in people’s minds.
Anorexics
tend to starve themselves to achieve an unattainable body type. Bulimics adopt
a different strategy in their impossible quest. They eat large quantities of
food only to throw it up, called purging. Another common disorder is binge
eating, characterized by overeating at meals.
There
are several mental symptoms as the problem is mental and not physical. People
with eating disorders may exhibit signs of depression and social isolation.
They are never satisfied with their body as they have deeply held body image
issues. There are obvious physical symptoms, too, such as weight loss and a
weak body. Treating and managing such eating disorders requires qualified
professional help.
Mental
health is an extremely important factor. It may help people get the qualified
mental help they need and live a fulfilling life. In these highly stressed
times, mental health among adults and children is declining. It is important to
identify the symptoms of certain common mental disorders.
Friday, October 7, 2022
How to Identify Addiction and its Adverse Effects on Life | Online Docs
Addiction is a term that is used loosely in our society. We often hear people say that they are addicted to their phones or chocolates. But what does addiction really mean? And how does it affect our lives? This blog post will discuss addiction and its effects on our lives. We will also provide tips for identifying addiction and getting help for it.
Addiction is a chronic,
relapsing disorder characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use despite
damaging consequences. It is considered a disease because drug use changes the
biochemistry of the brain. The changes are so complex that without professional
intervention it would be next to impossible to break free.
People addicted to drugs
may be unable to control their drug use and may continue using it despite the
harm it causes. Drug addiction is complex, merely thinking about it as a
problem will never make it go away.
Source: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-use-addiction
Addiction ruins our life
by making us feel isolated and alone. It takes away our ability to enjoy
activities that we used to love. It can cause financial problems and even lead
to legal troubles. Addiction can cause health problems that, if left
unattended, can take a person's life.
The addiction scene in
India
It is not very different
from the global scenario. A study by the National Drug Dependence Treatment
Center (NDDTC) under AIIMS in 2016 showed that around 35 million people in
India suffer from addiction. Of these, only about 0.06% seek professional help.
It is a considerable
number, and it is only increasing day by day. With the easy availability of
drugs and alcohol, more and more people fall prey to addiction. India's most
commonly abused substances include alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, opioids,
sedatives, stimulants, and inhalants.
That's not all, as
addiction can be non-drug related also; for example, many people in India are
addicted to social media, sex, and even gambling. Addiction is an extensive
spectrum issue for Indian society; unfortunately, help is far from sufficient.
Addictive substances in
India that are prolifically used:
As stated before,
India's most commonly abused substances include alcohol, tobacco, cannabis,
opioids, sedatives, stimulants, and inhalants. Let's take a more detailed look
at each of these:
Alcohol:
Alcohol is by far the most commonly abused substance in India. It is legal and
readily available. It is estimated that there are about 475 million drinkers in
India. Of these, about 25% are considered to be heavy drinkers.
Tobacco:
Tobacco is another widely abused substance in India. It is estimated that there
are about 275 million tobacco users in India. This includes both smokers and
chewers. Tobacco use is a leading cause of cancer in India.
Cannabis:
Cannabis is a plant that is native to India. It is widely available and used by
many people. It is estimated that there are about 22 million cannabis users in
India.
Opioids:
Opioids are a group of drugs that includes heroin and prescription painkillers.
They are highly addictive and can be very dangerous. It is estimated that about
three million people in India use opioids.
Sedatives:
Sedatives are a group of drugs used to help people sleep or relax. They are
often prescribed by doctors but can be abused. It is estimated that there are
about two million sedative users in India.
Stimulants:It
is estimated that there are about one million stimulant users in India. Stimulants
are a group of drugs that includes cocaine and methamphetamine. They are very
addictive and can be dangerous.
Inhalants:
Inhalants are a group of chemicals that people sniff or inhale to get high.
They are very dangerous and can be deadly. It is estimated that there are about
one million inhalant users in India.
These are just some of
the most commonly abused substances in India. Addiction is a severe problem
that affects a large number of people in India.
If you or someone you know is
struggling with addiction, connect with us, we are here to help.
How to identify
addiction early on?
There are many signs and
symptoms of addiction. If you think that you or someone you know may be
struggling with addiction, here are some signs to look out for:
Changes in behavior: If a person is using drugs or alcohol, they may start to
act differently. They may become more withdrawn or isolate themselves from
friends and family. They may also start to miss work or school or stop
participating in activities they once enjoyed.
Changes in appearance: A person using drugs or alcohol may start to look
different. They may lose weight, their skin may be unhealthy, and their eyes
may be red or glassy.
Changes in mood: People using drugs or alcohol may seem more irritable,
anxious, or depressed. They may also have sudden mood swings.
If you notice any of
these changes in yourself or someone else, it may be a sign of addiction. If
you feel like talking to someone about it we are here to listen and support you.
Do we have sufficient
help in India to fight addiction?
Unfortunately, the
answer is no. There are not enough resources in India to help people struggling
with addiction. According to a report by the World Health Organization, there
are only about 0.15 beds per 100,000 people in India for treating drug use
disorders. This is far below the minimum standard of two beds per 100,000
people.
This lack of resources
makes it difficult for people to get the help they need. If you or someone you
know is struggling with addiction, we encourage you to reach out to us for
help. We are here to support you. OnlineDocsprovides telepsychiatry services
that can help you or your loved ones fight addiction. We have an impressive
global talent pool that is ready to help you when you need it, with complete
privacy and security.
What are the
consequences of addiction?
Addiction can have many
negative consequences. It can lead to physical and mental health, financial,
and relationship problems, and job loss. Addition can also land a person in
legal problems, such as arrest and incarceration.
Addiction breaks the
very fiber of humanity.Addicts can seldom tell the difference between right and
wrong. This is primarily because the chemicals in drugs and alcohol alter the
way the brain functions. Over time, addiction can change the way our brains
look and work. This can lead to problems with memory, decision-making, and
judgment.
Addiction is a serious
problem that should not be taken lightly. Mark our words; if left untreated,
addiction can cause you many grave problems. Get help! Life is all about joy
and making a positive impact on society.
Remember! Addiction not
only affects the addict, but it also affects the souls of those who love them.
Don't do this to yourself and those who love you.
Conclusion:
Life is about fighting
circumstances and overcoming obstacles, addiction will surely make you lose
this battle. So get up, reach out and seek help because we are here for you.
You're not alone in this fight.
Monday, October 3, 2022
Excessive Video Gaming To Be Named Mental Disorder By World Health Organization
The World Health Organization added associate sudden mental disorder to its list of psychological state conditions in 2018. People that play an excessive quantity of video games may notice themselves diagnosed with "Gaming Disorder." On May 25th, the WHO formally voted to undertake today's version of its International Classification of Diseases, or ICD, to consist of access on 'gaming disorder' as behavior addiction. This is a pass that might alarm parents all around the country. According to them, 97% of teenage boys and 83% of girls play video games on a few types of devices.
Video games became progressively popular, with more individuals of all ages participating in competitions. As a result, computer game addiction has conjointly become a problem. According to the "fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" (DSM-5), the disease usually presents in juvenile males around 12 to 20 years old.
Dr. Nicholas Kardaras is the writer of the 2016 book "Glow Kids – How Screen Addiction Is Hijacking Our Kids" he states that technology has profoundly affected children's brains and not for the better. Brain imaging studies show that stimulating sparkling displays are as dopamine activating to the mind's satisfaction as sex. A developing mountain of scientific studies correlates screen tech with problems like ADHD, anxiety, depression, multiple aggression, or even psychosis. Most surprisingly, current mind and research conclusively display that publically immoderate display screens can neurologically harm a younger person's growing mind in the same way cocaine dependency can.
What the Study disclosed about the consequences of Violent Video Games
The Study was conducted by Dr. Douglas Gentile, Associate professor of Psychology at Iowa State University and a nationally recognized authority on the impact of television on children and adults. It showed that youngsters who play violent games regularly develop aggressive thinking, which might alter their behavior. For the experiment, the researchers followed over 3,000 children in grades 3, 4, 7, and 8 for three years.
According to recent United States surveys of parents, children of school age spend, on average, roughly seven hours per week playing video games. It was found that kids played video games on average for 9 hours per week, with boys playing them for an average of 13 hours per week and girls for an average of 5 hours per week. In the mid-1980, kids averaged approximately 4 hours weekly playing video games, along with time spent playing at home.
The Study reveals that the amount of online games played has been correlated with various risk factors for non-adaptive development such as smoking, obesity, and poorer educational performance. Researchers consider "violent" those games that allow players to injure other characters within the game. Specialists studying media violence, child advocacy organizations, and parents are especially concerned about these games since they feature many violent scenes. More than half of youngsters in surveys of 4th through 8th graders indicate a preference for video games where the main action focuses primarily on actual or imagined violence. Violent video game choice has been associated with hostile attribution biases, more conflicts with teachers, worse self-perceptions of behavioral activity, and more physical fights.
Impact of video games on children's physical and mental health:
1. Anxiety is increased by playing violent video games: Studies examining the impact of a violent video game typically reveal significantly increased anxiety due to which heart rate and systolic and diastolic blood pressure increase compared to non-violent video games. To illustrate, Ballard and West 1966 demonstrated that violent video games led to higher systolic blood pressure than non-violent games. The average size of the relationship between playing violent video games and physical reactions across studies was 0.222. Other physiological reactions have additionally been observed. The adult male brain has been shown to release dopamine when playing violent games. The physiological outcomes can be even greater for kids with more significant aggressive tendencies. Teenagers with trait hostility scored in the highest category on increased heart rate, blood pressure, and levels of testosterone and epinephrine. Additionally, there were tendencies for greater blood concentrations of cortisol and nor-epinephrine in the more irritable kids. It raises the possibility that children with a higher propensity for aggressive behavior may be even more vulnerable to the negative consequences of playing violent games. Violence in video games feeds the irrational urge to be aggressive: According to studies, bold emotions are more pronounced when playing violent video games. The average effect value across studies between playing violent video games and feeling aggressive was 0.18. According to studies, playing violent games make adults more anxious and hostile. According to the Study of 3rd through 5th graders, it increases the frustration level in children.
2. Pro-social behaviors are limited when playing violent video games: According to studies assessing player reactions while playing violent video games, their pro-social behavior is affected. Children who listed violent games as their favorite games to play were found by their peers to have fewer pro-social behaviors and more aggressive behavior in the classroom.
3. Loneliness and isolation: Loneliness is a global issue many individuals suffer at some point in their lives. People are subjected to unpleasant experiences. Loneliness is caused by the lack of enthusiasm in certain people's lives caused by significant failures in their social interaction networks. When young people spend long periods alone playing video games, they have less time in real life to engage with family and friends. Though many young gamers utilize online chat in multiplayer games, primarily to communicate with real-life pals, this should be balanced with interactions in the same physical place.
4. Depression (Depressive mental health disorder): In regular gamers, persistent listlessness, sorrow, or lethargy might be indicators of problem gaming. Depressive symptoms will be most noticeable while not playing the game, i.e., during the withdrawal phase. Video games have been linked to increased sadness and anxiety. However, correlation does not always indicate causation – people who are sad or depressed are driven to video games because they assist in repressing bad feelings. They acquire a gaming habit that causes them to get trapped in life. As a result, they are naturally dissatisfied.
Impact of gaming addiction on physical health:
1. Headache and migraine: Headache can be caused by physical factors such as eye strain, poor posture, and dehydration. They might be connected to mental health disorders like sadness and depression.
2.Lack of physical activity: playing sedentary games for extended periods might lead to a lack of physical activity. The World Health Organization advises that children and adolescents aged 5 to 17 engage in at least 60 minutes of physical excise every day.
3.Repetitive strain injury: it can affect children and young people who play for an extended period. Symptoms of strain injury are stiffness, pains, and discomfort. For example, 'nintendonitis' refers to the thumb, wrist, and hand disorders caused by gaming system use. Eye strain is also prevalent if you stare at a screen for an extended time without taking breaks. Glare from such a computer display can also impair eyesight.
4.Inadequate nutrition: when gaming addiction takes hold, children or adolescents may skip meals, eat junk food, refuse to take bathroom breaks, or have poor hygiene.
5.Poor posture: According to studies, as little as 5 minutes of gaming can cause bad posture, such as slouching into a rolled and rounded shoulder position with a forward head position to maintain your eyes on the screen.
6.Quality of sleep: playing exciting games for long periods, incredibly late at night, will result in poor quality sleep.
This degree of gaming can have a negative influence on mental, physical, and emotional disorders in several ways, including:
• A sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise increase the risk of obesity, high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, and high cholesterol.
• Neglected social skills as a result of a lack of interaction with persons outside an electronic environment
• Problems with focus and attention caused by video games' quick motions and fast-paced action
• Problems with growth as a result of avoiding tasks that encourage learning, self-discovery, and personal development
• Seizures and repeated stress injuries caused by flashing graphics, lights, and colors that may provoke epileptic episodes
• Increased hostility or violent behavior as a result of the content of some video games
Conclusion
According to this study, there is a direct link between physical health, stress, depression, and video gaming addiction. However, the connection between computer game addiction and social dysfunction was significant and negative. The study showed obese children to be more interested in computer games. In other words, playing more video games causes teens to stay at home, which leads to a lack of movement and obesity. This is considered a biological problem.
On the psychological dimension, video games negatively affect adolescent mental health. It directly impacts the violent behavior, stress, depression, and isolation of adolescents who play these games. Playing video games excessively affects people's mental health, and the severity and importance depend on factors such as the level and intensity of violence in the game. The player's ability to distinguish between the virtual world and the real world, the player's ability to inhibit their desires and motivations, the values they grew up with or lived with, and those values in the context and content of the games. Fear was one of the possible consequences of video games, which researchers study.
When you see delays in your child's growth, it can be stressful. Help is available thanks to our knowledgeable and dedicated specialists. Our specialists will assist you in determining which stages may be tolerated and which indications should not be ignored. We understand your child's requirements and offer reasonable, virtual assistance from the convenience of your own home. Our comprehensive approach guarantees that we work on all five areas of development at the same time: speech and language, cognitive, socio-emotional, delicate, and gross motor abilities.
Must Read : India's Mental Health: The Need to Improve Telepsychiatry's Prominence
Monday, September 26, 2022
India's Mental Health: The Need to Improve Telepsychiatry's Prominence | Online Docs
The demand for telepsychiatry has outpaced the supply due to the global scarcity of skilled board-certified psychiatrists. According to research, Tele-psychiatry is an efficient, inexpensive, and accessible alternative to in-person consultations.
According to research published in "The Indian Journal of
Psychiatry," PTSD is the most frequently diagnosed form of depression,
affecting 30% of Indian doctors and medical professionals. Additionally, the
epidemic has made all doctors more stressed, which has led to a rise in the
prevalence of anxiety and depression. Dr. Lorna Breen's Health Care Provider
Protection Act was enacted in the US on March 18, 2022. This measure
establishes grants and mandates additional activities to promote mental and
behavioral health for healthcare professionals. Due to such laws and
provisions, there will now be greater demand for mental health specialists to
care for patients and staff. Telepsychiatry can support hospitals, ERs,
clinics, and other healthcare facilities, enhancing the standard of treatment
for patients and medical staff.
Indian Mental Health Care
According to a recent analysis by
Deloitte, India had 0.29 psychiatrists and 0.07 psychologists for every 10,000
people, compared to the median of 0.51 psychiatrists and 0.26 psychologists in
other low and middle-income nations. Medical groups advise using telepsychiatry
for cross-border consultations to address the global shortage of qualified
psychiatrists and psychologists. We can handle the global lack of psychiatrists
and psychologists using telepsychiatry. With the advent of a telepsychiatry
platform, more businesses are moving toward hybrid healthcare that includes
in-person sessions. Currently, many nations are attempting to transform mental
health globally. Countries like the United States collaborate on a
public-private strategy to address mental health.
The 2022 budget release in India included
a discussion on mental health treatment. These coordinated efforts cover system
regulation, patient's rights protection, mental health care funding, and
research and innovation promotions. The Indian government has started a
nationwide telemental health program. This program would significantly improve
accessibility for patients in rural locations who need psychological assistance.
It will raise knowledge about mental health and lessen the stigma for people
seeking psychological services for the first time.
How The Epidemic Hastened The Healthcare
Industry's Digital Revolution
Telemedicine has been a timely and
much-needed tool over the last two years, according to doctors worldwide.
However, only a small number of telemedicine systems have assisted doctors in
lowering their stress levels regarding administrative tasks like producing
invoices or prescriptions, etc. Finding and implementing distinctive
telemedicine platforms that are patient and physician-centered, concentrating
on clinical care and easing the administrative burden, is crucial. Due to the
stigma surrounding mental health, we know that patient data is susceptible and
confidential, making it vulnerable to hacking due to weak security measures for
storage and access. Only a few telemedicine industries are using technology to
ensure transparency and interconnectivity of telehealth services, making them
more secure and reliable for mental health services. This is to address the
problem and achieve better patient data protection. Block-chain-based
telemedicine platforms will make it simpler to preserve patient data and
eliminate the stigma associated with mental health.
Leveraging Digital Technology For Health
Education
Telepsychiatry can transform many crucial
fields using digital technology to increase capacity. The clinical skills
necessary for the early identification and treatment of psychiatric diseases
rarely translate from traditional training programs that include technical
lectures, video demonstrations, PowerPoint presentations, and classroom
settings. The benefits of Tele-psychiatry training experiences include a
didactic curriculum and adaptability to adopt a pedagogical approach depending
on the professional. It receives bottom-up training, the opportunity for
service-based learning, and the freedom to attend training sessions whenever it
is most convenient for the students. Additionally, technology–enhanced learning
can assist students in participating in teleconference journal clubs, satellite
broadcasts, and simulated telepsychiatry consultations.
We can introduce the idea of observership
in psychiatry through telepsychiatry. Through online lessons, a learner can see
how to evaluate. Diagnose, and track the development of a patient. Providing
opportunities for additional exposure to challenging clinical circumstances and
enhancing liaison opportunities can radically restructure postgraduate
training. This could lead to the creation of experts with greater competence.
Technology can be used to educate and
train not only medical students but also primary care doctors, nurses, social
workers, psychologists, and other paramedical staff due to the lack of human
resources in the field of mental health care around the world, particularly in
low-and middle-income (LAMI) countries. This will assist in increasing
capacity, reaching unreached people, and providing care for underserved people.
Role Of Mental Health Applications In
Telepsychiatry
Personalizing Telehealth is a crucial area
where telepsychiatry has a lot of potentials. Smartphones are now widely used
thanks to recent advancements in communications, and everyone can use them to
offer patients individualized care. Applications for mobile devices designed
specifically for treating mental illness can provide a multidisciplinary team
with dynamic two-way communication. Patients can sign up for themselves in the
application tailored to their diagnosis. This application may develop into a
secure repository for all clinical information, including e-prescriptions, drug
status, allergies, comorbid illnesses, and a checklist to track side effects
and treatment adherence. With the help of this application, the professional
might also be able to oversee and manage the patient from a distance, similar
to running a virtual mental health clinic.
The Future Of Telepsychiatry Practice Will Be
Advanced By Virtual Reality And Artificial Intelligence
Artificial intelligence's application in
psychiatry includes using machine learning algorithms and automated language
processing to evaluate a patient's mental state. Artificial intelligence is
widespread and has anything from diagnosis and prediction to treating mental
diseases. Applications are presently available that use artificial intelligence
to track smartphone usage patterns and identify users who may be at risk of
mental health issues. We can now use artificial intelligence-based algorithms
to predict treatment outcomes and cognitive symptoms like psychosis, which
might manifest as thinking abnormalities, behavioral disorganization, or
catatonia. By adding machine learning algorithms to human clinical ratings,
false negative and false positive diagnoses have also been reduced.
A human can interact with a
computer-generated simulation known as virtual reality (VR) by adopting
specialized gear. Numerous studies have demonstrated the value of virtual
reality (VR) as an engagement and diversion tool for people with mental
conditions such as PTSD, anxiety, particular phobias, schizophrenia, dementia,
etc. Virtual Reality technology can improve in vitro therapy, especially when
it's challenging to expose patients in vivo.
Additionally, VR can personalize the
exposure to particular contexts and stimuli that may trigger the patient's most
distressing symptoms in cases of PTSD and specific phobias. Soon, machine
learning will assist patients in receiving psychiatric treatment using
computerized conversational bots, boosting the possibility that they will
receive customized treatment protocols by establishing links between symptoms,
neurobiological conditions, and functioning across diagnoses. Artificial
intelligence can even transform the way that mental disorders are classified.
In the future, artificial intelligence might help the doctor diagnose a
patient, working together with specific applications to analyze a variety of
data, such as history, risk factors, side effects, current treatment
guidelines, etc., and come up with the best possible treatment plan for any
given patient, opening up the possibility of customized treatment.
Additionally, artificial intelligence may assess and alert to medicine demand,
account for available stocks, and automatically make an order for the drugs to
be delivered to predetermined locations.
Along with medication, a doctor might also
advise using a particular app for each disorder. These apps can be used for
various things, including tracking patient symptoms, generating electronic
prescriptions, providing psycho-educational tools, ensuring adherence, and
alerting both parties involved to any warning signs. By doing this, it is
guaranteed that prompt access to complete care is provided. An intriguing
development in the science of artificial intelligence is chatbots. They can be
crucial in detecting, diagnosing, and treating mental diseases because they are
conversational agents. Additionally, they may also help manage and prevent
suicide.
Online Counseling
Due to limited healthcare resources,
online support groups have grown in popularity over the last few years. A
Cochrane evaluation found even self-help programs for quitting smoking were
inferior. These groups cater to individuals with depression, suicidal thoughts,
substance misuse, cancer, and eating disorders. Social media's growing
popularity has given online peer networks the chance to support mental health
rehabilitation and minimize stigma. This becomes even more crucial for reaching
the unreached low- and middle-income countries. These peer support groups are
bringing about a paradigm shift by facilitating access to health information
and assisting persons with mental illness. Expanding on these benefits and
addressing whether peer-to-peer skills acquired via an online platform result
in a sustained improvement in social and occupational performance in the actual
world require future study. There are still methodological issues to be solved,
particularly in assessing such therapies and getting unbiased outcome data.
Electronic Health Records
Because psychiatrists are required by the
MHCA 2017 to maintain an essential medical record, these are crucial for
patients with mental illness. Patients can access health information that is
recorded (EHRs) and managed by a healthcare organization through electronic
health records (EHR) portals, which are provider-tethered applications.
Healthcare organizations are the owners and managers of these portals (such as
hospitals). Through these portals, organizations give patients restricted
web-based access to the clinical information contained in their patient health
records. Then, patients can access, read, print, or incorporate this data into
any patient–owned document (either electronic or paper-based).
Conclusion
Applications and artificial intelligence
in information technology cannot solve all of these issues. Still, they are
already improving assessment methods, developing new ways to collect data,
expanding access to mental health services, and altering the very nature of
service delivery. Clinical procedures will continue to change in the future,
particularly with the emergence of virtual reality, synchronous and
asynchronous video conferences, and other technologies that may help us reach
the right audiences. Tele-psychiatry will change as technology, clinical uses,
and care delivery paradigms advance. Tele- psychiatry incentives can help to
advance this even further. By enhancing the ability to communicate with
patients and their families, Tele-psychiatry will play a more integral part in
healthcare transformation due to this evolution. The blending of national and
international borders will give psychiatrists in India access to global
opportunities. International consumers would receive real-time services from an
Indian psychiatrist. This will start a new age of global regulation and
oversight of virtual health tourism.
Saturday, September 17, 2022
Development in Telehealth Services By Online Docs And Its Helpfulness
Online medical consultations allow you to communicate virtually with a doctor to discuss your health issues via voice, video, or chat. It is a recommended option since it is practical and time-saving, mainly when you are unable to see a doctor at the clinic or hospital personally. Online medical visits are comparable to in-person visits in that you receive a prescription following the conclusion of the holiday.
In consideration of the COVID-19 epidemic,
health institutions are increasing their telehealth choices and offering
virtual appointments, according to "Brian
Hasselfeld, M.D." Hasselfeld is the associate medical director for
digital health innovations at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Telehealth, often known as Telemedicine,
has several benefits, including: even for individuals who don't consider
themselves computer literate, Telemedicine has become simpler due to
technological advancements. Patients can request a virtual visit with several
John Hopkins doctors, practitioners, and therapists through the online platform
or mobile apps.
● Privacy and accessibility
● Time and money saving
● Obtain a second opinion
● Convenience and comfort
● Access to professionals
● Prompt medical attention
● There is no need to save every medical report.
● Choose the correct physician according to need.
● Schedule a time according to our choices
● Instantly get prescriptions
● Text follow-up that's good for up to 7 days
● Pay the debt
● Others: no travel time or expenses, no need to miss work, no concerns about caring for children or the elderly, on-demand services, access to specialists, lower risk of contracting a new illness, reduced waiting times, and better health.
Three
unique ways that Online Docs can assist:
Primary
care and managing chronic conditions
Your family's health depends on regular consultations
with primary health care physicians, including those with internal medicine,
family medicine, and pediatrics specialties. Thanks to Telemedicine, it is
simple to get in touch with a doctor or nurse practitioner. Some systems are
designed so new patients can schedule an appointment with the following
practitioner who becomes available, which helps expedite things.
Thanks to the telehealth facility, you may easily reach professionals. Telehealth services can improve medical care's effectiveness, coordination, and proximity. You can receive support for self-managing your health care through online visits without relying on a third party. A virtual doctor sees the patient virtually during a telemedicine session using communications technology and specialized medical equipment. A telemedicine expert can evaluate the patient, review vital statistics and medical history, and offer an evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment. The necessity for travel on the part of the patient or the specialist is reduced or eliminated as a result. Technology can potentially extend the standard of healthcare and expand access to it.
Doctors can use telemedicine consultations
to pre-screen patients for potential infectious diseases to stop the spread of
COVID-19, the flu, and other contagious diseases. Additionally, it prevents
sick people from having to visit the office. Everyone benefits from less
contact with other people's viruses, but those chronically unwell, pregnant,
old, or immune- compromised.
● Patients in rural locations, as well as those in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, military and aircraft settings, or on the battlefield, can benefit from the invaluable tools provided by Telemedicine for home healthcare, remote patient monitoring, and disease treatment. The Department of Tele-medicine technology enables medical experts to assess, identify, and treat patients in distant areas. Without leaving the hospital, they can see patients wherever they are needed. This enables the on-site telehealth clinicians to quickly access cutting-edge knowledge and skills for electronic triage and care when and where it is most needed.
● The main characteristics of Tele-health are:
- Make healthcare available to those who reside in rural areas.
- Make Tele health services more accessible or practical for those lacking time, mobility, or transportation.
- Give them access to medical experts.
- The coordination of a patient's treatment and the improvement of team member communication
- Your doctor or the medical staff can remotely check on your health thanks to several technologies, such as web-based or mobile apps, that provide data, such as blood glucose sugar levels, blood pressure, and lung function.
- Telemedicine advancements have enabled elderly or dementia patients to at-home monitoring devices to spot changes in routine behavior falls.
Conserve
your money
Are you thinking, "This has got to be
incredibly expensive!"? That's untrue
An online doctor consultation can quickly
and affordably meet your medical needs. An online doctor consultation can save
you up to $88 every time you visit a doctor, according to a "Health
Affairs Journal Study."
This is a highly economical choice if you
don't have health insurance. A typical doctor's appointment will set you back
at least $120. However, a doctor's internet consultation might cost as little
as $40 per visit.
Even if you're unsure, you can still
afford to see a doctor because online doctor consultations are less expensive.
Many approaches exist for telehealth to help you save money:
- Compared to in-person visits, telehealth is much more affordable
- The 24/7 accessibility of virtual visits saves time
- Broader accessibility to mental health services
- Assistance with different sorts of management and care.
Costs are significantly lower than office
visits for minor health conditions. According to "United Healthcare,"
the national median price of a video-based virtual visit is $50 instead of $740
for an emergency department visit, $85 for low-severity treatment at a doctor's
office, and $130 for an urgent care center visit. The savings might be
substantial if you have to cover the entire cost yourself before reaching your
insurer's deductible. You'll typically pay less for telehealth than other sorts
of appointments, even if you're only required to make a co-payment. Cost
sharing varies from plan to plan, but insurers typically charge lower
co-payments for telehealth than emergency department visits.
Security
and Privacy
The idea of speaking with their doctor
online is unfamiliar to many individuals. Making sure you are communicating
with someone with medical knowledge to advise you on your health situation is
crucial. When using a virtual doctor, you can feel secure knowing you're using
a closed system and server. Your data will always be kept safe. Every
conversation you have with your doctor online is private, as always. Your
online doctor will follow the 1996 HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act). This ensures the safety of medical data. Online
consultations should adhere to the same rules as in-person meetings. Before
sharing any private health information, patients must be notified of their
right to privacy and provide written consent. Consultations should be held in a
private room using specialized secure video communications rather than on
public networks like Skype.
The healthcare sector is undergoing
substantial change, and Telemedicine presents exciting possibilities for
technology-driven virtual clinical services. Patient data communicated,
recorded, or moved between healthcare practitioners during a consultation must
use a secure server. These encryption techniques must be expanded, particularly
for portable devices and removable media, like USB drives, which are a
significant source of data breaches. A practical way to maintain an audit trail
of who has accessed and used patient data is to assign a systems administrator
to track data. This can quickly reveal any unusual or unapproved activity.
Healthcare organizations may concentrate
on preserving the privacy and safety of their patients while shielding
themselves from the severe repercussions of unauthorized access system access
by knowing the primary security and privacy concerns.
Conclusion
In the past, going to the physician was a
terrible physical and symbolic experience. You could need to wait for hours if
you need to go to the emergency department. Consulting an online doctor is an
excellent approach to receiving the care you require with little effort. You
can receive high-quality care from a virtual physician at home or anywhere.
Without all the inconvenience, an online doctor can give you the individualized
treatment you would receive at your regular doctor's appointments. You won't ever
need to leave your home since online doctors can do anything from ill
prescriptions to respond to all of your questions. Convenience is the main
advantage of online doctor appointments over traditional ones. You can arrange
online medical visits at your convenience. Given your time's importance,
especially when you're ill, we don't want you to spend it on waiting or
commuting. Schedule your appointment with an online doctor and ensure that you
are online during that time.
Your doctor will pay you complete attention throughout the entire appointment. There should be no disruptions, and you get enough time to ask all the questions you desire and follow-up inquiries for any issues you have. Until the conclusion of your visits, your online doctor will remain focused on your problems. They can recommend scans, do blood testing, and even write prescriptions like in-person doctors.
MUST READ : Top 6 Reasons why you should Opt for Telepsychiatry
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