Vinayak Pathak’s research while affiliated with Padmashree Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical College and other places

Child sexual abuse (CSA) occurs when a person involves the child in sexual activities for his/her sexual gratification, commercial gain, or both. We report a series of 12 cases of CSA, who presented to the psychiatry department with diverse psychiatric presentations associated with CSA. In most of these cases, the perpetrator was unmarried and known to the child. The presentation was varied with patients being diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, acute and transient psychotic disorder, dysthymic disorder, recurrent depressive disorder, acute stress reaction, conversion disorder, borderline personality disorder, and moderate depressive episode with somatic symptoms. Individual and family counseling was an important part of management of these cases along with pharmacotherapy. More vigilance about CSA and mental health in all categories of health-care personnel would help in early detection and timely management of these cases.

Background Medical studies are very challenging. As a result of the demands placed on them, students may be under stress, and this may affect their behavior and performance. Not many Indian studies have delved into this problem. Aim The aim of the study is to assess the levels of stress and its associated adverse behavioral effects in undergraduate medical students in a tertiary care medical college. Materials and Methods This cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study included medical students from 2nd to 4th year who had given informed consent to participate in the study. Students were assessed with a semi-structured questionnaire, students stress scale (SSS), perceived stress questionnaire, and risk-taking and self-harm (RT and SH) inventory. Results A total of 405 students (153 males and 252 females) participated in the study. There were no significant differences in the age, perceived family support, religious practices, physical activity, and SSS scores of the male and female students. A significantly higher score was obtained by boys as compared to the girls on the scores of the RT subscale and total score on RT and SH inventory. However, girls obtained significantly higher scores as compared to boys on the perceived stress scale. Among girls, 23.4% reported high stress, 63.5% had moderate stress, and 13.1% reported low stress. Among boys, 11.1% reported high stress, 68.6% had moderate stress, and 20.3% reported low stress. The difference was statistically significant. Conclusions The majority of Medical undergraduates were under stress; however, the majority perceived themselves to be under moderate stress. Male students had higher scores on RT and SH inventory as compared to females. There is an urgent need to study the causes and devise effective management and preventive measures to avoid the harmful long-term effects of stress on their careers and well-being.