Background: Mass Drug Administration (MDA) Programs has been conducting bi-annually at school level to eliminate Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis (STH) from Bangladesh since 2008. Because of very low MDA coverage in Bangladesh, this study explored the perceptions of stakeholders about MDA program implementation, knowledge of students regarding helminthiasis and MDA including its potential barriers. Methods: 258 students of grade IV of three public schools from Khulna district, Bangladesh were randomly selected. This study follows mixed-method approach while Qualitative methods were used to evaluate the perception, barriers and favourable environment based on IDIs and FGDs with key stakeholders and quantitative method used to assess the students’ response to School-Based Health Education (SBHE) intervention and knowledge of STH and MDA. Results: In result, positive understanding and attitude towards MDA program are seen within community as well as have basic knowledge on STH. Rumour of drugs potential side effects and insufficiently trained manpower are found as key barriers. After SBHE intervention among urban and rural students’ knowledge improved by 64.31% and 13.04% respectively including MDA coverage has increased by 40.08% and 8.69% respectively as well. Conclusions: SBHE intervention improves knowledge, but to make that knowledge effective and sustainable, teachers need to get proper trainings on regular basis. Improved knowledge of the community can increase MDA coverage if we are able to remove the program obstacle like rumours of side effect of the medicine and constraints of skilled human resources.

Introduction: Loneliness is a psychosocial problem that affects mental health and wellbeing of the individuals and communities. This systematic review aimed to synthesize the current evidence on the status and correlates of loneliness from empirical studies conducted in India. Methods: Adopting the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, eight major databases and additional sources were searched. Studies were evaluated using following criteria: peer-reviewed journal articles, published in English language, presenting any quantitative form of evidence on loneliness, and studies conducted in India among the Indian population. A meta-analysis of the prevalence studies and narrative synthesis of the overall status and factors associated with loneliness were conducted. Results: Among 1031 studies, only 13 met our criteria. All the studies reported a high burden of loneliness among the participants. The pooled prevalence among 3169 participants was 41% (95% confidence interval [CI] 18% - 63%). The burden of loneliness was higher among the elderly participants (44%, 95% CI 5% - 83%) compared to younger participants (24%, 95% CI 22% - 27%). Factors associated with loneliness included aging, family structure, marital status, religious practices, group membership, educational attainment, source and level of income, psychological attributes, and comorbid physical and mental health conditions among the affected individuals. Conclusion: This review identified and evaluated the status and severity of loneliness and its correlates, which may inform future studies examining complex psychopathological and social dynamics associated with loneliness. Lastly, the current evidence necessitates the development of multipronged interventions to address the risk factors and alleviate the burden of loneliness in India.

With ever-increasing prevalence of various mental disorders worldwide, a comprehensive evaluation of the prevalence of co-occurring psychiatric disorders among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is needed to strengthen the knowledge base. This umbrella review aims to summarize the current evidence on the prevalence of comorbid psychiatric disorders among people with ASD. A systematic search of 12 major databases and additional sources was conducted. Any systematically conducted narrative, qualitative, or meta-analytic review reporting the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among people with ASD with no age or geographical restriction were included. From a total of 2755 records, 26 articles representing 14 systematic reviews and 12 meta-analyses met the criteria of this review. The synthesized findings reveal a high burden of comorbid psychiatric disorders among people with ASD, including anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, bipolar and mood disorders, schizophrenia spectrum, suicidal behavior disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, disruptive, impulse-control and conduct disorders amongst diverse age groups, with a majority in younger participants. Most studies were conducted in developed nations, with limited evidence from low and middle-income countries. These synthesized findings provide high-quality evidence for clinical and policy-level decision-making from a global overview of the status of comorbid psychiatric disorders among people with ASD.

Objective: Dating violence (DV) is a psychosocial problem which impacts the health and wellbeing of affected individuals. Many studies have reported a high prevalence and various determinants of DV; however, there is a gap of consolidated evidence on this problem. This umbrella review aimed to synthesize the current evidence on the prevalence and determinants of DV from systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Methods: We systematically searched ten major databases and additional sources to retrieve systematic reviews or meta-analyses reporting prevalence or determinants of DV, published as peer-reviewed journal articles in English language till October 13, 2019. We extracted and synthesized the findings, reported the prevalence of DV, and categorized the determinants of DV using the socioecological model. Results: We found 16 eligible systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Most of these studies were conducted in developed countries with a majority of adolescent and young adult participants. Studies reported varying prevalence of physical, sexual, psychological/emotional, and technology-assisted DV ranging from 0.1% to 57.5%, 0.1% to 64.6%, 4.2% to 97%, and 5.8% to 92%, respectively. The determinants of DV at different socioecological levels, including individual behavior, substance abuse, psychiatric conditions, experiencing violence and maltreatment; interpersonal factors like family and peer relationships; community and neighborhood characteristics; patriarchy, culture, and socioeconomic equalities were reported. Conclusions: These findings suggest a high burden of DV among young populations, who are vulnerable to various socioecological determinants of DV. Future research should examine how these factors influence DV and multi-level interventions should be adopted to address the same.