Background: In addition to the socioeconomic problems, COVID-19 related lockdown may have profound mental health consequences. Aims and Objectives: The objectives were to assess the influence of lockdown on lifestyle, psychosocial stresses, and experienced quality of life (QOL). The study also assesses the association of the socio-demographic variables with lifestyle, psychosocial stress, and QOL. Methodology: An online survey on the lifestyle changes, psychosocial stress, and QOL were conducted using a validated questionnaire via the Google forms platform. The data collected were analysed using parametric and nonparametric tests. Results: The study included 263 respondents. The fear of developing COVID-19 was reported by 67.7%, 31.2% experienced weight gain, internet use was increased in 66.9%, and alcoholism and smoking decreased by 83.3% and 58.8%, respectively. Lockdown upset 48.3% moderately, and 36.1% experienced anxiety, 23.4% feared job loss, and 51.3% had financial worries. 91.1% of the study population reported fair to good QOL. Females showed significantly more religiosity, (Χ 2= 7.81; p= 0.02) did lesser exercise, (Χ 2= 10.9; p= 0.023) and had poor mood. (t=2.68; p=0.009) Older people were less afraid of COVID-19 infection and were less upset by the lockdown. The urban population was more fearful of COVID-19 and were more upset by the lockdown. Conclusion: Lockdown had a major effect on lifestyle and increased psychosocial stress, but people still experienced a fair QOL during this period.

Background: Medical students, especially in the first year of their college life, are under stress. Materials and Methods: Study was conducted on 100 first year medical students. The students were given a semi-structured questionnaire to collect sociodemographic data; they were subsequently administered the Academic Stress Scale and the Adjustment Style Inventory. Then a Structured Stress management session was conducted for them, and they were made to practice many stress coping skills for three weeks, following which the questionnaires were re-administered and data collected. The data were analysed with the chi-square test, independent-sample t-test, paired t-test and Pearson's correlation. Results: The academic stress and coping scores showed no difference among both sexes. The academic stress score showed a negative correlation with coping scale (p= 0.019). There was a significant reduction in the academic stress score post-intervention (p<0.001). The scores of adjustment styles also showed a significant improvement, and there was a significant improvement in the total adjustment style score and negative coping score post-intervention (p<0.001). The positive coping score, however, did not show a significant change. Conclusion: Stress management programmes are effective in reducing academic stress and adjustment styles. The students tend to reduce negative coping skills and better manage stress, postintervention.

Antidepressants have propensity to induce manic switch in patients with bipolar disorder. Opipramol is an atypical anxiolytic and antidepressant drug which predominantly acts on sigma receptors. Although structurally resembles tricyclic antidepressant imipramine it does not have inhibitory action on the reuptake of norepinephrine/serotonin and hence it is not presumed to cause manic switch in bipolar depression. Here, we describe a case of mania induced by opipramol, in a patient with bipolar affective disorder who was treated for moderate depressive episode with lithium and opipramol and we discuss neurochemical hypothesis of opipramol-induced mania.

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Background: Belief in faith healers, lack of awareness and stigma of mental illness have placed obstacles in timely identification and treatment of mental illness. This study assessed the factors influencing individuals with mental illness to seek faith healers. It was also planned to study the delay caused due to faith healers in starting psychiatric treatment. Methods: Cross-sectional study of 100 consecutive patients who had visited a faith healer at least once and attending the outpatient clinic of the department of psychiatry was done using a semistructured questionnaire. Results: Fear of psychiatric medication (46%), stigma of psychiatric illness (44%) and beliefs in myths (43%) were the main reasons for avoiding psychiatric treatment. There was a significant delay in psychiatric treatment initiation when comparing people who first visit faith healers to those who first visited psychiatrists (28.2 months vs 14.5 months, p=0.002). Post-visit to psychiatrist, 57% prefer to continue with the psychiatrist, and 34% would visit both, and only 5% would prefer faith healer. Conclusions: Myths and stigma regarding psychiatric illness are prevalent, and mental health education can improve the scenario.

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