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Background: Nomophobia or no-mobile-phone phobia, defined as the fear of being unable to use or being unreachable via one's mobile phone. The pervasive concern has varied bio-psychosocial and clinical implications in an individual's life. Nomophobia is currently in an exploratory phase., Methods: A scoping review was conducted to systematically map the relevant evidence and literature on nomophobia. The review of scholarly literature spanning from January 2010 to May 2023 employed a narrative synthesis methodology to succinctly encapsulate the research findings. Additionally, it encompassed a meticulous examination and visual representation of studies, detailing both the frequency of investigation into specific variables and the instances in which said variables exhibited a statistically significant association with nomophobia., Results: A thorough examination of 92 studies revealed a total of 133 variables spanning demographic, lifestyle-related, academic, smartphone-related, psychosocial, and clinical domains. Notably, 42.86% of these variables have only been investigated in a single research study, underscoring the imperative for replication to enhance the generalizability, validity, and applicability of research findings. Moreover, the review identifies Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) by Yildirim and Correia as the most widely used tool for measuring the severity of nomophobia., Conclusion: There is a crucial need for homogeneity and consistency in reporting nomophobia scores and establishing corresponding gradations indicative of functional ramifications or clinical severity of nomophobia. The findings elucidate significant research gaps in existing literature on nomophobia, hold implications for further synthesis of data, and contribute to a comprehensive understanding of nomophobia; ensuring superior diagnostic accuracy and precision, and facilitating successful delivery of targeted interventions., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Psychiatry.)

Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Background: Aberrance in switching from default mode network (DMN) to fronto-parietal network (FPN) is proposed to underlie working memory deficits in subjects with substance use disorders, which can be studied using neuro-imaging techniques during cognitive tasks. The current study used EEG to investigate pre-stimulus microstates during the performance of Sternberg's working memory task in subjects with substance use disorders., Methods: 128-channel EEG was acquired and processed in ten age and gender-matched subjects, each with alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, and controls while they performed Sternberg's task. Behavioral parameters, pre-stimulus EEG microstate, and underlying sources were analyzed and compared between subjects with substance use disorders and controls., Results: Both alcohol and opioid use disorder subjects had significantly lower accuracy ( P < 0.01), while reaction times were significantly higher only in subjects of alcohol use disorder compared to controls ( P < 0.01) and opioid use disorder ( P < 0.01), reflecting working memory deficits of varying degrees in subjects with substance use disorders. Pre-stimulus EEG microstate revealed four topographic Maps 1-4: subjects of alcohol and opioid use disorder showing significantly lower mean duration of Map 3 (visual processing) and Map 2 (saliency and DMN switching), respectively, compared to controls ( P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Reduced mean durations in Map 3 and 2 in subjects of alcohol and opioid use disorder can underlie their poorer performance in Sternberg's task. Furthermore, cortical sources revealed higher activity in both groups of substance use disorders in the parahippocampal gyrus- a hub of DMN; superior and middle temporal gyri associated with impulsivity; and insula that maintains balance between executive reflective system and impulsive system. EEG microstates can be used to envisage neural underpinnings implicated for working memory deficits in subjects of alcohol and opioid use disorders, reflected by aberrant switching between neural networks and information processing mechanisms., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Psychiatry.)

The United Nations Organizations observe various global public health days (GPHDs) (also known as world days) throughout the year. We aimed to assess the impact of GPSDs on online health information-seeking behavior related to substance use in the Indian context. We used the Google Trends data for this study using standard guidelines. We conducted a topic search for the query "Substance abuse" to capture online information-seeking behavior (OHISB) for substance use disorder-related searches. The data were analyzed using the Joinpoint Regression software. Joinpoint regression model analysis was conducted to determine the statistically significant daily percent change (DPC) in the RSV trend. We found that there were significant changes in OHISB for substance use-related disorders on the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking over the last five years. The increase in the pattern of online search for substance use-related information was not observed around the World No Tobacco Day, World Mental Health Day, and World Suicide Prevention Day. Since most of these world health days are likely to continue to be observed in the coming years, it is important to regularly assess their impact as well as make the necessary modifications to make them more effective in achieving the desired objectives., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2024 Indian Journal of Psychiatry.)

Alcohol use is a major public health issue. It is also associated with a range of family, social, and economic problems. This led multiple countries worldwide to adopt national policies for alcohol regulation. Over the years, alcohol use and related problems have increased in India. The existing regulatory framework on alcohol varies greatly across states in terms of government sanctions, pricing, and legal drinking age, resulting in variations in its availability and prevalence of alcohol use disorder and related harms. Despite alcohol use being mentioned in several national policies and plans, a comprehensive national policy addressing alcohol is lacking. In this manuscript, the need for a dedicated national alcohol policy is underscored, emphasizing its potential to mobilize resources, prioritize interventions, and guide various stakeholders. The timely implementation of such a policy is crucial to address the multifaceted challenge of alcohol use effectively., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Indian Journal of Psychiatry.)

Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Background: Adult attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often remains undiagnosed and undertreated among patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). Research is lacking with regard to adult ADHD in individuals with SUD. The current work was intended to study the prevalence of adult ADHD among individuals with opioid dependence and its correlates, and to assess the attitude of the individuals with adult ADHD toward its treatment., Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted in 132 consecutive inpatients with opioid-dependence syndrome. Patients were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. 5.0, adult ADHD Self-Report Screening Scale, and Maudsley Addiction Profile. Those who screened positive for adult ADHD (ADHD+) were compared with those screened negative (ADHD - ) on a number of sociodemographic, substance use, and clinical variable. Furthermore, attitude toward the treatment for ADHD was assessed among the ADHD+ individuals., Results: About a fifth ( n =24, 18.2%) of the patients with opioid dependence screened positive for adult ADHD. One-third of the participants ( n =8, 33.3%) were willing for the treatment of any kind, and only a half ( n =3) was willing to pay. Earlier age of onset of opioid use (relative risk: 0.01; 95% confidence interval: 0.003, 0.85; P = 0.036) had higher likelihood to ADHD+ status., Conclusion: Despite a high rate of ADHD screen positivity among individuals with opioid dependence, a majority were not willing to receive the treatment. Sensitization of: (1) addiction psychiatrist to routinely screen for ADHD, especially in the presence of certain correlates and (2) patients-caregivers about the potential benefit of treatment in effectively addressing the symptoms of ADHD effectively in this population., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Indian Journal of Psychiatry.)

Introduction: The college students are prone to use internet in a manner that could negatively affect several aspects of their life. The present study is one of the largest studies to be undertaken in India, aimed at understanding the existing pattern of internet use and estimating the prevalence of problematic internet use (PIU) among college students., Materials and Methods: The Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale 2 (GPIUS-2) was used to assess the PIU. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to ascertain the relationship between GPIUS-2 total score and demographic and internet use-related variables., Results: Of 3973 respondents from 23 engineering colleges located in the different parts of the country, about one-fourth (25.4%) had GPIUS-2 scores suggestive of PIU. Among the variables studied, older age, greater time spent online per day, and use of internet mainly for social networking were associated with greater GPIUS-2 scores, indicating higher risk for PIU. Students who used internet mainly for academic activities and during evening hours of the day were less likely to have PIU., Conclusion: This study suggests PIU among engineering college students in India is an important public health concern. There is a need to create awareness among students, emerging adults, parents, and concerned authorities about the harms associated with PIU. Furthermore, there is a need to implement preventive strategies for inculcating pattern of safe and healthy internet usage among them. In addition, there is a need to develop public health policies for prevention and treatment of PIU and conduct further research to enhance our understanding about the same., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2019 Indian Journal of Psychiatry.)

Background: Suicide is a growing health concern and causes significant health burden. Patients with substance use disorders represent an especially vulnerable population in terms of self-harm. Data on risk factors for self-harm in substance-using population in the Indian context are limited. We aimed to determine the patterns and sociodemographic/clinical predictors of self-harm in patients with substance use disorders., Materials and Methods: We assessed 300 male patients on Deliberate Self-Harm Inventory to assess the patterns of self-harm. We performed mediation analysis to determine whether clinical variables acted via sociodemographic variables in their effect on self-harm., Results: The occurrence rate of self-harm was 32.7%. It was significantly associated with a younger age, being unmarried/separated, unemployed, history of injecting drug use, high-risk sexual behavior, and cannabis use disorders., Conclusion: Self-harm is an important consideration among patients with substance use disorders, and needs to be addressed by the clinicians involved in the care of such patients., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2019 Indian Journal of Psychiatry.)

Duloxetine is a newly introduced drug. It is being prescribed for the management of diabetic neuropathic pain and major depressive disorder. The most frequently observed adverse events with duloxetine are nausea, dry mouth and somnolence, constipation, diarrhea, decreased appetite, weight loss, feeling of fatigue, dizziness, somnolence, hypohidrosis, decreased libido and erectile dysfunction. One of the patients being prescribed the drug developed bleeding gums on being started with the drug which resolved on stopping it. We hereby report this case.