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Background: COVID-19 pandemic has hit the world leading to major disruptions globally. Due to its highly contagious nature and associated mortality, a wide array of emotional and behavioral reactions were seen which indirectly reflected the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of individuals. Understanding the KAP of individuals is fundamental when it comes to decreasing future COVID cases. Aim: The study aimed to develop a Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Questionnaire regarding COVID-19 (COVID-KAPQ) among patients attending screening outpatient department (OPD) in a tertiary care hospital in North India and evaluate its psychometric properties. Materials and Methods: The study procedure consisted of step-wise procedure starting with item generation, expert evaluation for categorization of items into domains of KAP and testing for psychometric properties. The items were generated and evaluated by the Delphi method based on 8 experts. Reliability and validity were assessed using data from 200 patients attending COVID screening OPD. Content validity was evaluated using content validity index (CVI); construct validity was examined using exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was computed for internal consistency. Results: The final COVID-KAPQ consisted of three domains and 29 items. Cronbach's alpha coefficient for the entire questionnaire was 0.734, 0.710 for knowledge domain, 0.614 for attitudes domain, and 0.759 for practice domain. CVI ranged from 0.86 to 1. Five factors each for knowledge and attitudes domain and two factors for practice domain were extracted by principal factor analysis and varimax rotation, with a cumulative contribution of 70.19%, 71.54%, and 66.77% variance in KAP domain. Conclusions: A questionnaire COVID-KAPQ (KAP regarding COVID-19) was developed. Psychometric testing indicated that it had adequate validity and reliability for use in COVID research in the general population. This questionnaire might help the public health researchers to map the level of KAP in the population and plan awareness and prevention strategies accordingly.

Background: Schizophrenia is among the most puzzling yet disabling of all brain diseases. The finding of immunity-related genes seems to vindicate theories about the involvement of neuroimmunological processes in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Moreover, antipsychotics used in the treatment of schizophrenia have been shown to have effects on serum immunoglobulin levels. Aim: The aim of this study was to assess and compare the effect of risperidone and clozapine on the immunoglobulins at 6 weeks and 12 weeks in patients with schizophrenia and its clinical correlation. Materials and Methods: It was an open-label, randomized, comparative, and prospective study. Patients with International Classification of Diseases-11th Revision diagnosis of schizophrenia who were not on any antipsychotic drug for more than 2 weeks, were randomized to two groups, i.e., A (risperidone) and B (clozapine) after baseline assessment of sociodemographic and clinical parameters on the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Baseline blood investigations (complete hemogram, liver and renal function tests, lipid profile, and fasting blood sugar) and immunoglobulin estimation were done. Patients were followed at 6 weeks and 12 weeks and levels of immunoglobulin were reassessed at 6 weeks and 12 weeks along with PANSS and Glasgow Antipsychotic Side-Effect checklist. Results: A total of 32 patients were inducted into the study – 16 in the risperidone group and 16 in the clozapine group. There was no statistically significant difference in terms of the duration of illness or period of exacerbation between the two groups though the baseline total PANSS score was significantly higher in the clozapine group. In both the groups, there was no statistically significant difference in the baseline immunoglobulin levels at baseline and over 12 weeks in terms of the immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgE levels. Within the clozapine group, a significant difference over 12 weeks was noted in IgG level. Conclusion: It can be concluded from the index study that the immunoglobulin levels in the patients with schizophrenia do not differ much concerning the effect of risperidone and clozapine. Clozapine is associated with a significant increase in IgG levels indicating the immunologic response of clozapine in schizophrenia.

with him being mostly confined to his bed. When he would walk, his gait was abnormal, walking on his toes, while inverting his feet leading to

Religion is an abstract concept encompassing specific set of organized beliefs and practices, usually shared by a community or group, whereas spirituality is more of an individual practice dealing with having a sense of peace and purpose. Religion and psychiatric illness too share a complex relationship and intent for religious conversions pose a diagnostic dilemma in many cases. This relationship is further being influenced by easy access to social media and excessive smartphone use in the contemporary world. Here, we discuss two cases of young males who presented to us with intense desire to change their religion (interest generated after watching YouTube videos and listening to speeches on the smartphone), consequently leading to interpersonal problems and psychopathology. The management approach highlights the need to identify the intent and knowledge for religious change, differentiate individual preferences from that of the family/society, avoiding misdiagnosis and focusing on symptom resolution and improving functionality.