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Objective: To identify the effect of cognitive behaviour hypnotherapy on nonsuicidal self-injury condition. Methods: The quasi-experimental study was conducted from May 2019 to April 2020 in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan, and comprised students aged 18-25 years at various universities and colleges in the twin cities. The participants were screened using deliberate self-harm inventory for >2 events without suicidal intention in line with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5th edition. They were then divided into two intervention and control groups. Over the following three months, the intervention group received cognitive behaviour hypnotherapy, while the control group did not receive any treatment. The groups were assessed post-intervention. The final phase comprised follow-up assessment of the condition. Data was analysed using SPSS 25. Results: Of the 60 subjects, there were 30(50%) in each of the two groups. Overall, there were 41(68%) males and 19(32%) females. The majority of the subjects were aged 21-23 years 29(48%). More than 5 self-harm incidents were reported by 48(80%) subjects, while suicidal ideation was detected in 6(10%) students. The effect size of the study was good in terms of pre- and post-intervention values (d=4.90), the post-intervention and follow-up assessment values (d=0.32) and the pre-intervention and follow-up values (d=5.42). The comparison between treatment and no treatment groups indicated the effectiveness of treatment over no-treatment, F (1, 58) = 53.16, p < .001. Conclusion: Cognitive behaviour hypnotherapy was found to be effective in treating the nonsuicidal self-injury condition. Continuous...

: Objective: The study investigated the relation of marital relationship and social support with psychological distress in first time pregnant women.Study Design: Correlational design.Setting and Duration: The study was carried out in Lahore, Pakistan, over a period of six months.Subjects and Methods: The sample of the present study includes 100 pregnant first time mothers. Sample of pregnant females was collected from the maternity ward of different hospital located in Lahore. Pregnant females included in sample were falling with the age range of 20-35 years, the minimum duration of their marriage was at least 2 years and minimum qualification was intermediate. Those women were selected who had no history of psychological problem and had never been on any kind of psychiatric/ psychological treatment (psychotropic medication /psychotherapy). The participants completed the Demographic Information sheet, Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale, Relationship assessment Scale and Social Provision Scale. Responses were scored according to the producer given in the manuals.Results: Mean ± SD of age was 26.21 ± 2.8 years. Significant (p

Globally over the recent years, concept of depression during prenatal and postnatal periods is acknowledged in a way that depressive illness around child birth may be a naturally occurring problem during the periods of maternal life. However, in developing countries, the issue of depression in prenatal and postnatal periods still needs to be researched and propagated among masses. Therefore, the present study aims to examine the predictive relationship of prenatal depression with postnatal depression. Initially 155 pregnant women completed the demographic form and EPDS (Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale) during the third trimester, however, postnatal sample, due to attrition, was reduced to 90 women, who were reassessed within four weeks after delivery, using EDPS. Predictive association of depression in prenatal period with postnatal depression is highly significant (p < 0.01). It is concluded that, to prevent women from depression in postnatal period, they should be prevented from depression in prenatal period.

BackgroundPharmacological treatment is usually the first line of treatment for schizophrenia, but more strategies are needed to augment this treatment to promote better outcomes. It is known that adherence to pharmacological treatment in schizophrenia patients can be increased by working with their insight into their disorder. In literature, many programs have been found to increase mental help-seeking and reducing symptom severity but most are from the Western cultures and/or are conducted with people attending any institution (i.e., a university or an in-patient care unit) and with specific age ranges (i.e., young adults or older adults). However, in the noninstitutionalized population of different age groups of Pakistan, there is a need to find ways (alongside medication) that promote attitude toward mental help-seeking and reduce symptom severity. Therefore, the current pilot study was designed to investigate the impact of a psychoeducation program on increasing patients’ motivations and help-seeking attitudes toward treatment, reducing the severity of the symptoms, and the role of financial sources in the course of their illness.MethodologyIn this pilot study, we targeted diagnosed patients with schizophrenia disorder from different hospitals and primary care clinics. After eligibility screening, 255 participants were included, and 220 completed the psychoeducation program. Both men, 143(56.08%) and women, 112(43.82%) with marital statuses of being single 123(48.24%), married 98(38.43%) and divorced/widower/widowed 34(13.33%) were included. Respondents’ age range was 18-52 years (M=35.45, SD=10.27).ResultsFindings revealed that significant change in symptoms severity was observed after 16-weeks psycho-education program on positive symptoms (Md=21.05, n=220) compared to before (Md=25.00, n=220, z=-12.47, p=.000, ηp2= .59, negative symptoms (Md=15.74, n=220) compared to before (Md=17.44, n=220, z=-9.52, p=.000, ηp2= .45, and general psychopathological symptoms (Md=38.32, n=220) compared to before (Md=43.40, n=220, z=-12.72, p=.000, ηp2= .61. Similarly, on HSAT (Md=39.03, n=220) compared to before (Md=28.27, n=220, z=-10.43, p=.000, ηp2= .50, and PMFT (Md=5.69, n=220) compared to before (Md=4.85, n=220, z=-12.43, p=.000, ηp2= .59 respectively. Change in patients’ motivation after 16-weeks at low motivation level was -55(25%) (this category got reduced as people moved to better motivation levels), at moderate motivation level it was 10(4.55%) and at high motivation level it was 45(20.45%). Symptoms severity reduced in across all income groups but patients in low-income group tended to gain more from the psychoeducation programas compared to middle- and high-income group in both pre and post treatment.ConclusionIt is concluded that our psychoeducation program helps promote patients’ motivation and help-seeking attitude toward treatment, and helps reduces positive, negative, and general symptoms severity across all age groups and income groups. However, one of the limitations of this psychoeducation program is that it appears to be more advantageous for patients from low-income group as compared to middle- and high-income groups. However, this limitation can be considered a strength in a country like Pakistan where around 40% of the population lives in poverty. Usually, lower income groups tend to be worse off when it comes to treatment outcomes of any kind, but psychoeducation seems to be the avenue that appears different. Psychoeducation for schizophrenia should be explored further especially in poverty struck countries. Furthermore, the present research has opened way for an indigenous psychoeducation program for Pakistani schizophrenia patients that could potentially be used with all Urdu/Hindi speaking patients.Trial RegistrationThai Clinical Trial Registry (TCTR20210208003).