Latest news with #NIMHANS
The Hindu
10 hours ago
- Health
- The Hindu
NIMHANS launches Community Connect to bring mental health conversations into the open
To reduce stigma and foster emotional well-being by bringing mental health conversations into the open and public spaces, the Department of Mental Health Education at NIMHANS launched a unique initiative on Saturday. The public engagement initiative 'Community Connect', being organised in collaboration with the Departments of Psychiatric Social Work and Clinical Pharmacology and Neurotoxicology at NIMHANS and the Horticulture Department, was inaugurated by NIMHANS director Pratima Murthy at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens. Twelve events The event marked the beginning of a series of 12 events that will be held once a month at Lalbagh, said K.S. Meena, professor and head of the Department of Mental Health Education. Each edition will focus on themes like resilience, empathy, help-seeking behaviour, coping skills, and more — making mental health a visible, regular, and normalised part of public life, she said. 'We will have one mental health expert from NIMHANS speak at the monthly events to reduce stigma and foster emotional well-being,' she said. Speaking at the event, Dr. Murthy said there is a need to take mental health conversations outside hospital walls to the public spaces where people gather, reflect, and connect. 'Community Connect is about creating informal, welcoming spaces where individuals feel safe to speak, share, and listen without fear of judgment,' she said. Around 100 participants participated in open discussions and shared reflections on emotional well-being, coping mechanisms, and the value of community support. 'The mind is like a pressure cooker. We must allow safe outlets for feelings, thoughts, and behaviours,' said Dr. Murthy, highlighting the importance of lifestyle changes, journaling, physical exercise, and creative expression in maintaining mental well-being. Sleep is no luxury She also emphasised the importance of sleep hygiene, time management, self-affirmation, and seeking professional support when needed. 'Sleep is not a luxury - it is a necessity. Regulating our sleep, managing our time, and caring for ourselves allows us to care for others.' The event touched upon the role of family and friends in mental health, the influence of media and movies, and the need to counter self-labelling and stigma. Dr. Murthy also highlighted the value of psychological first aid, noting that 'being non-judgmental, listening actively, and offering compassion are the first steps to healing.'
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Scrub typhus is now the most common infectious cause of acute encephalitis syndrome in southern India
A large multicentre study of 587 children with acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) from Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu has revealed that scrub typhus, a bacterial infection, is now the most common infectious cause of AES in southern India. The study by a team of researchers from NIMHANS, Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, and St. John's Medical College Hospital has been recently published in The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia. Global challenge AES, characterised by acute onset fever and altered mental status and/or new seizures, presents a significant global public health challenge. It has an incidence of 3.5 to 13.8 cases per 1,00,000 patient-years, disproportionately affects children, and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. In India, over 10,000 cases of AES are reported annually to the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP). Historically, surveillance efforts have prioritised Japanese encephalitis (JE), even as its incidence has significantly declined due to widespread vaccination. Moreover, recent studies reveal a dynamic, region-specific, and evolving aetiology of AES in India. Scrub typhus (caused by bacterium Orientia tsutsugamushi), an under-recognised cause of AES, has been increasingly reported in certain regions. Aimed at systematically investigating infectious aetiologies of AES in children from southern India and developing clinical prediction models for diagnosing scrub typhus, the study found that the bacterial infection is now the most common infectious cause (44%) of AES in southern India, far exceeding Japanese encephalitis virus (11%). Scrub typhus and other doxycycline-treatable infections are significant contributors of AES in India. However, limited surveillance in southern India has hindered their recognition and the inclusion of doxycycline in treatment protocols. From tertiary care hospitals The prospective study enrolled children aged above 28 days to 18 years with AES presenting to three tertiary care hospitals in Bengaluru - Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, Vani Vilas, and St. John Medical College Hospital. Primary outcomes were microbiological diagnosis of AES and clinical prediction models for diagnosing scrub typhus and identifying patients with doxycycline-treatable causes. Models were developed using multivariable logistic regression, internally validated, and simplified into point-scoring systems. Between March 2020 and February 2023, 714 children were screened, of whom 587 were included. Of these, 315 (54%) had a microbiological diagnosis. Scrub typhus accounted for 138/315 (44%), and doxycycline-treatable causes were diagnosed in 193/315 (61%) of these cases. Key predictors associated with both scrub typhus and doxycycline-treatable causes were age, illness duration, lymphadenopathy, oedema, hepatomegaly, lymphocyte count, platelet count, and serum albumin levels, said Tina Damodar, clinical virologist and DBT-Welcome Trust fellow, Department of Neurovirology at NIMHANS, who is the lead author of the study. 'Among the 315 children with an identified infectious cause, dengue (10%), leptospira (5%), and chikungunya (5%) were also notable. Other detected pathogens included herpes viruses, enteroviruses, pneumococcus, tuberculosis, and measles, reflecting a diverse and region-specific AES landscape. These findings highlight the need to update AES surveillance and treatment protocols,' Dr. Damodar told The Hindu on Thursday. 'The study found that over 60% of microbiologically confirmed AES cases were caused by doxycycline-treatable infections, primarily scrub typhus. Despite this, doxycycline is not routinely included in empirical AES treatment in many parts of India,' she said. Recommendation Another author Reeta S. Mani, head of Neurovirology at NIMHANS, said that based on the results, the study recommends including doxycycline or azithromycin in the initial treatment of children with AES or acute febrile illness (AFI) in southern India - a change already implemented at the participating referral tertiary care hospitals. 'Timely treatment is critical. Among the 138 children with scrub typhus, nearly 40% either died or developed neurological complications, largely due to delayed diagnosis. To address this, the study calls for wider availability of scrub typhus diagnostic tests (IgM ELISA or PCR) at primary and secondary care levels,' the doctor said. The researchers have also developed a clinical prediction model - a simple point-based tool that can help frontline clinicians identify children likely to benefit from doxycycline, even before lab confirmation is available.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Significant neuro problems linked to Covid vaccines found: NIMHANS study
BENGALURU: A series of clinical studies conducted at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) have revealed significant neurological problems associated with both Covid-19 infection and Covid vaccination. Led by Dr Netravathi M, Professor of Neurology at NIMHANS, the studies span both the first wave of the pandemic and the subsequent vaccination drive, offering insights into how the virus and the global response to it has affected the central and peripheral nervous system. Between March and September 2020, NIMHANS reviewed hospital records of 3,200 patients with neurological illnesses. Among them, 120 patients (3.75%) had confirmed Covid infections accompanied by neurological disorders. The median age of these patients was 49 years, with a range from 3 to 84 years. Common symptoms included altered consciousness (47%), seizures (21%), and anosmia (14.2%). Many patients (49%) had a preceding fever, a press release issued from the office of the state Medical Education Minister on Tuesday stated. Researchers noted that Covid can cause neurological symptoms through direct viral involvement, hypoxia, thrombotic complications, or autoimmune mechanisms. 'Neurological disturbances observed in both active and post-Covid phases' Importantly, neurological disturbances were observed in both active and post-Covid phases, indicating a need for long-term monitoring of patients even after recovery.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
NIMHANS study finds higher degrees of depression among ‘severely injured' road traffic accident victims
A recent study by a team of researchers from NIMHANS has found higher degrees of depression among 'severely injured' Road Traffic Accident (RTA) victims. Aimed at understanding the 'quality of life', anxiety, and depression levels among the victims of RTA, the study has recommended that following medical treatment, RTA victims and their families must undergo psychosocial counselling to lessen their anxiety and enhance their quality of life. The study titled Quality of life, anxiety and depression among non-fatal road traffic accidents victims in South India was published in Social Sciences and Humanities Open, an open access scientific journal, on June 28. Financial hardship Road traffic accidents, whether fatal or non-fatal, can be the cause of substantial financial hardships and significant mental health issues to victims and their families. While several studies done in the past have shown that RTAs lead to stigma, stress and anxiety, depression and economic burden on individuals and their families, there are a limited number of studies available on the association between RTA victims' quality of life (QoL) and their stressful conditions. QoL assessment is widely used for many ailments, for instance on stroke-affected, hypertensive, and diabetic patients. 'These conditions and their relationship with QoL have been reported in many studies. However, there is no Indian research available on depression, anxiety or the quality of life among RTA victims. Our study recommends that psychosocial counselling following medical treatment is a must for RTA victims and their families,' Palaniappan Marimuthu, professor and head of the Department of Biostatistics at NIMHANS, told The Hindu. Non-fatal RTA victims 'The objective of this paper is to understand depression among non-fatal RTA victims in terms of quality of life, anxiety and associated socio-demographic variables. This paper is part of a larger study funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR),' said Dr. Marimuthu, who is the corresponding author of the study. For the study, the researchers randomly selected a total of 407 non-fatal RTA victims from the State Crime Record Bureaus (SCRBs) of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Data collection was done using socio-demographic and accident information, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and WHO Quality of Life tools. 'The four domains of QoL (physical health, psychological health, social relationships, and environment) apart from education and age were employed along with the Quantile Regression approach to examine how they affect the dependent variable of depression score. Non-fatal victims were classified into 'Severely Injured' and 'No Serious Injury'. When age, education and expenditure on RTA treatment were compared, except age the other two variables were statistically significant. The four domains of QoL also significantly differed between these two groups,' the doctor explained. Anxiety as variable Manoj Kumar Sharma, professor at the Department of Clinical Psychology, who also heads SHUT Clinic at NIMHANS and is part of the research team for this study, said anxiety is the most important variable which contributed in almost all the quantiles of depression followed by psychological health, social relationship, environmental health and age of the RTA victims. Asserting the importance of not using mobile phones while driving, Dr. Sharma said using a phone while driving distracts the driver's attention from the road, slows reaction time, and increases the chances of accidents. 'Even a few seconds of looking at a screen can lead to a serious crash. Safe driving requires full concentration on the surroundings, road signs, and other vehicles, which is impossible if someone is texting or calling. Therefore, avoiding mobile phone use while driving helps ensure safety for everyone on the road,' he added.
New Indian Express
07-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Contract workers in Bengaluru unite against labour codes, seek job security
BENGALURU: Over 300 non-permanent workers of institutions such as the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) gathered here on Sunday to condemn the 'exploitation of contract workers'. The event -- Convention against Labour Codes and Demand for the End of the Exploitative Contract Labour System -- was organised at Gandhi Bhavan by the Government and Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) Non-Permanent Workers Joint Forum. The convention demanded the abolition of the exploitative contract labour system and the repeal of the four new labour codes. Clifton D' Rozario, vice-president of the All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), condemned the large-scale exploitation of contract workers in government entities and PSUs. 'Lakhs of workers performing core duties are wrongly labelled as contract workers. They face job insecurity, low wages and no social security. The new labour codes institutionalise this exploitation,' he said. D'Rozario also called for legislation to grant permanency to all contract workers, citing similar laws in Assam and Tamil Nadu. Chandrashekar, general secretary of the HAL Contract Workers' Association, highlighted wage stagnation. 'The last revision of the central minimum wages was in 2017. It's 2025 now, and costs have surged. This outdated wage structure amounts to forced labour.' The demands from the forum also include upholding the freedom of association and the right to protest and strike.
