ORCID Profile
0000-0001-7480-9644
Current Organisations
National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences
,
National Law School of India University
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Publisher: BMJ
Date: 07-2019
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2019-030836
Abstract: Suicide rates in India are among the highest in the world, equating to over 200 000 suicides annually. Reports of suicides are a routine feature in major newspapers in India, and reporters may selectively present ‘newsworthy’ suicide stories. The aim of this paper was to systematically investigate whether mass media reports of suicides reflect the epidemiological data on suicide in a high suicide state in India. We undertook a content analysis study to extract sociodemographic data on suicides reported among nine of the most highly read daily newspapers in the high suicide southern state of Tamil Nadu between June and December 2016. A total of 1258 newspaper articles were retrieved containing reports on 1631 suicides. Two-tailed binomial tests on aggregate frequencies assessed whether the sociodemographic characteristics of suicides in the newspaper articles were different to the population suicide statistics for Tamil Nadu. We identified some statistically significant discrepancies between suicide characteristics in the population and the media. Suicides involving females (p .001), those aged under 30 years (p .001), separated or widowed males (p .001), unmarried females (p .001), those using methods with a higher case fatality rate (ie, hanging (p .001), jumping off high structures (p .001) and coming under vehicles (p .001) and those who were students (p .001) or working in the agricultural sector (p .001) were significantly over-reported relative to their occurrence in the broader population. Suicides involving men (p .001), those aged over 30 years and above (p .001), those who were married and suicides by poisoning (p .001) were significantly under-reported relative to their occurrence in the broader population. The suicide characteristics in the print media were not entirely representative of suicides in the broader Tamil Nadu population, which may lead the general public to develop misunderstandings about suicide in their state. The discrepancies we identified will inform tailored suicide prevention education for media professionals.
Publisher: Medknow
Date: 2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.COMPPSYCH.2014.07.006
Abstract: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a heterogeneous condition with evidence of familiality in a considerable proportion of patients. A classification into familial and sporadic forms has been proposed to explain the heterogeneity. The current study aims to compare the demographic, clinical and comorbidity patterns of patients with and without a family history of OCD in first-degree relatives. 802 consecutive patients who consulted a specialty OCD Clinic at a tertiary care psychiatric hospital in India were evaluated with the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale, and the Clinical Global Impression Scale. Family history was assessed by interviewing patients and at least one first-degree relative. Family history of OCD was seen in 152 patients (19%). Family history was associated with juvenile onset (Χ(2)=19.472, p<0.001), obsessions of contamination (Χ(2)=6.658, p=0.01), hoarding (Χ(2)=4.062, p=0.032), need for symmetry (Χ(2)=3.95, p=0.047), washing compulsion (Χ(2)=7.923, p=0.005), ordering compulsions (Χ(2)=6.808, p=0.009), repeating compulsions (Χ(2)=4.950, p=0.026) and compulsions by proxy (Χ(2)=7.963, p=0.005). Family history was also associated with greater severity of OCD (t=-2.31, p=0.022) and compulsions (t=-3.09, p=0.002) and longer duration of illness at presentation (t=-2.93, p=0.004). Our findings suggest that familial OCD may have distinctive clinical features. Studying familial forms of OCD may offer unique insight in to understanding the genetic basis of OCD.
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Date: 09-2018
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 21-09-2020
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 05-2021
DOI: 10.1136/BMJOPEN-2020-047166
Abstract: Crime reports of suicide incidents routinely feature in the Indian mass media, with minimal coverage of suicide as a broader public health issue. To supplement our recently published content analysis study, we undertook qualitative interviews to examine media professionals' perspectives and experiences in relation to media reporting of suicide-related news in India. In 2017–2018, we undertook semistructured qualitative interviews with media professionals with experience reporting on suicide-related news. A semistructured interview guide was designed to initiate discussions around their perspectives and experiences in relation to reporting on suicide. Interviews were digitally audio-recorded and transcribed, and a deductive and inductive approach to thematic analysis was used. Twenty-eight interviews were undertaken with media professionals in Delhi, Chandigarh and Chennai. A clear role for media in suicide prevention framed around educating and informing the public was articulated by several participants and a majority of participants also reported concerns and anecdotal accounts that their reporting may negatively influence vulnerable people in the population. Nonetheless, a fatalistic attitude towards suicide was evident among several participants including dismissing or minimising concerns around imitation suicides. Several participants also expressed doubts around the quality of suicide helplines in India and were hesitant to add such contact details to their reports. Participants were largely very receptive to the idea of developing voluntary media guidelines for the Indian context, although doubts were raised around compliance unless additional initiatives were taken to engage media professionals at the highest levels. Our findings reveal the perspectives of media professionals operating in the Indian context and can be used to support constructive partnerships between media professionals and suicide prevention experts. There is a clear need for a genuine and sustained partnership between suicide prevention experts and media professionals at all levels.
Location: India
No related grants have been discovered for Anish V Cherian.