Indian Psychology

In order to better cope with the pressures and stresses of the current day, modern psychology is anxiously seeking to find new therapies to address the increasing disorders within the human psyche. In the process new fields of research, such as humanistic and transpersonal psychology, curiously appear to borrow more and more from the wisdom of the ages. This volume, containing eighteen articles by noteworthy expositors of the perennial philosophy such as Huston Smith, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, and Frithjof Schuon, presents the spiritual psychology of the wisdom traditions as a much-needed antidote to the current impasse in modern psychology.

Some Endorsements for Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy:

“[Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy] is more than an anthology. It is a wisely crafted collection of classic and contemporary scholarship noting that what many are seeking is what has always been, a perennial philosophy, that remains foundational. As one of the authors, Tage Lindbom, properly notes, ‘Secularization is a fish in troubled waters.’ This book claims the waters and is essential reading for all those who may have forgotten or are simply ignorant of the rich foundation provided by the perennial philosophy.”
—Ralph W. Hood, Professor of Psychology at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, past president of the Psychology of Religion division of the American Psychological Association, co-founder of The International Journal for the Psychology of Religion and co-author of The Psychology of Religion

“A necessary and bracing critique of the assumptions and limitations of contemporary Western psychology, this generous volume is also a passionate call and learned guide towards a truer perspective that embraces man's spiritual nature.”
—Gabor Maté, M.D., and author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction

“Knowing the nature of the mind is perhaps the most difficult undertaking, especially in today’s world. To comprehend the nature of mind one needs to turn to the domain of religion and spirituality. Yet the truth of the mind and its complexity cannot explicitly be defined in words. Inner or transcendent wisdom sees the mind’s own nature without the duality of the seer. Suchness (tathatā) of mind is only experiential and not expressible. The words used to describe thought are themselves a product of thought, which is conditioned and limited. Thus, differences and contradictions are unavoidable. Therefore, a comparative study of different viewpoints and commentaries is immensely important to awaken the inner intelligence to see the mind as it is. Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy: Studies in Comparative Religion edited by Samuel Bendeck Sotillos is an outstanding effort in this direction.”
—Samdhong Rinpoche, former Prime Minister (Kalon Tripa) of the Tibetan Government-in-exile, author of Uncompromising Truth for a Compromised World: Tibetan Buddhism and Today’s World

“The rise of psychology has impacted the study and practice of spirituality, the experiences and attitudes relevant to ultimate human values that transcend ordinary behavior. Each chapter of this remarkable book demonstrates this interaction in a unique and provocative way. But rather than using psychology to reduce and ‘psychologize’ spiritual topics, its authors demonstrate how directives from the spiritual traditions can enhance and even illuminate the enduring importance of psychology in the 21st century.”
—Stanley Krippner, Saybrook University, co-author of Spiritual Dimensions of Healing

“The work at hand is a thinking and debating man’s delight. If you have any interest at all in attempting to include an educated and enlightened view of man’s higher functions in your purview of the world, you will learn from and enjoy this collection of essays. If you already have some knowledge in this area, brace yourself: you may see some of your favorites sharply criticized. A thought-provoking work.”
—Bruce W. Scotton, University of California, San Francisco, co-editor of Textbook of Transpersonal Psychiatry and Psychology

“This book, superbly edited by Samuel Bendeck Sotillos, is a masterful critique of the field of psychology and its loss of the sacred ground in which it once was rooted. It offers depth psychologists an opportunity to contemplate timeless truths echoed through the centuries by perennial philosophers who have always claimed psyche is subordinate to Spirit. Although ignored in depth psychology’s early years due to prejudice and lack of understanding, this is a message today’s psychotherapists must take seriously. Human beings need a deeper and wider transpersonal vision of who and what we are, which the saints and sages of the world’s spiritual traditions have always pointed to. In psychotherapy with a therapist committed to such a vision, patients penetrate into their unconscious depths and not infrequently awaken to the Ground of all Being. Their suffering itself occurred because they had turned away from Spirit. Above all, this volume passionately calls upon depth psychology to remember its origin in the perennial wisdom at the core of the great religions. There is something of a polemic in these pages. It deserves to be considered by depth psychologists of all persuasions.”
—Bryan Wittine, Transpersonal psychologist and Jungian psychoanalyst

“This anthology from Samuel Bendeck Sotillos is a must reference for anyone who is interested in psychology and its relationship to spirituality, and in developing an inclusive dialogue between disciplines that favor an integral outlook on the person and his or her potential. Selections in this anthology will inspire us to reexamine the metaphysical underpinnings of psychology, and remind us how important it is to rise above science’s attempt to reduce the human being to an epistemic object.”
—Sangeetha Menon, National Institute of Advanced Studies (Bangalore, India), Board Member of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA), author of The Beyond Experience: Consciousness in Bhagavad Gita

“This anthology has some of the most discerning essays and reviews on spirituality and psychology, which provide much-needed care and caution to all those engaged in bringing them together or who wish to do so in future. Therefore, it is a must-read for all those who teach, research, consult, or study in such frontier areas as transpersonal psychology, states of consciousness, mind-body relation, holistic health, Indian psychology, and so on. It will be an invaluable textbook for courses in these and other related areas. I congratulate the editor of the book.”
—Kiran Kumar K. Salagame, University of Mysore (India), Board Member of the International Transpersonal Association (ITA), author of The Psychology of Meditation: A Contextual Approach

“One of the finest collections of essays on the Perennial Philosophy—a must-read for all psychologists who are engaged with spirituality and transpersonal psychology. The essays which critique modern psychology (including transpersonal psychology, and the framework of Carl Jung), in the light of the Perennial Philosophy are a revelation and make compelling reading. The book serves as a corrective to the excesses of modern psychology, and to this end Sotillos has done a commendable job. I for one will include the book in some of the graduate courses that I teach.”
—Suneet Varma, University of Delhi, co-editor of Foundations of Indian Psychology

“To its credit modern science by-and-large is becoming more cognizant of the essential connection between spirituality and psychological health and well-being and most of all its positive implications within the field of psychology. While there is ample data to document this in a plethora of academic journals and books, this new book Psychology and the Perennial Philosophy adds a novel contribution to the dialogue between psychology and spirituality, which captures many nuances that for the most part go unnoticed within these discussions, and last but not least, it provides a keen eye of discernment to understand this intricate relationship on a deeper level that is crucially needed. This work will be a valuable asset to students and long term mental health practitioners and professors alike who seek to better understand the relationship between psychology and spirituality.”
—Harold G. Koenig, Duke University, Director of the Center for Spirituality, Theology and Health, co-author of The Handbook of Religion and Health

A present study investigated the correlation between experienced sexual harassment and anxiety, depression among working unmarried women. A purposive sample of 100 working unmarried women (25 to 35 years) was selected. Sample was collected from Mumbai. Sample involves unmarried women working in private sectors with same occupational background. The Sexual harassment experiences questionnaire, Beck depression inventory II, IPAT anxiety scale along with the personal data sheet were administered on the sample. The obtained score does not follow the normal distribution curve hence for correlation Spearman rho correlation method was used. Spearman non parametric test used to find out correlation between all variables. Result shows that there is positive correlation between experienced sexual harassment and depression. Also result shows that there is no correlation between experienced sexual harassment and anxiety.

Major social and emotional development takes place during adolescence which shapes the life of an individual. Social and emotional developments both intertwined and the adolescence is the base age for these developments. In adolescence, individuals undergo changes during these developments such as, how to interact with family, friends and peers. They learn and understand the concept of emotional regulation and emotional expressions which help them to tackle critical situations. Due to social and emotional development they learn to form and maintain a healthy interpersonal relationship and self-esteem. At the time of these developments some individuals may develop problems which may lead to the mental health issues. There are various risk factors involved such as, conflictual family environment, low socioeconomic status and parental separation etc. which may lead to the mental health issues or problems like, depression, eating disorder and substance abuse and other psychological problems. Various psychological interventions have been reported which can be provided during social and emotional developmental process which would be helpful for individuals to deal with the issues and risks. Moreover, the author has attempted to figure out the changes which take place during social and emotional development in adolescence and what are the relevant risk factors involved in the developmental process. Author has also explored about the mental health issues and their intervention in adolescence during these developments.

The term “Homosexuality” has always been the topic of great discussion. The purpose of choosing this topic is predominantly the unacceptance and widespread discrimination of homosexuals, in all aspects of the life. Earlier, homosexuality was considered “unnatural” or “dysfunctional”, but research in this field has shown that homosexuality is an example of a normal and natural variation in human sexuality and is not in and of itself a source of negative psychological effects. This paper looks at the various issues concerning Homosexuality, it’s origin and the possible explanation for such orientation. It will also look at the political approach and the various factors hampering their development as a human being.

The present paper discusses the association of power and approval motives with adolescent altruistic behaviour. Gender difference was also tried to calculate. The present study comprised of 140 students (70 boys and 70 girls) of age range 13-19 years. Participants were given Self-report Altruism Scale, Power Motive Scale, and Approval Motive Scale. Results indicate that altruism is positively correlated with approval motive and negatively correlated with power motives. Results also revealed significant negative prediction of altruism by Power motive and significantly positively predicted by Approval motive. No gender difference was found in all three variables. Results of the present study will be empirically discussed.

Over recent decades, global problems relating to degradation of natural resources and pollution have increased dramatically. Natural resources are depleted by excessive use. The problem is becoming worse due to ever expanding population of the world. The cry of the time is that we need to change the basic attitude of people towards the nature only than any step towards preserving the environment will become effective and here Environmental Education can play a very crucial role. Environmental Education is a continuous, life-long process involving education about the environment. The objective of the study is to find out the Environmental Attitudes of undergraduate students before and after studying environmental education. A sample of 25 students from Dayalbagh Educational Institute, Agra city was selected. Taj Environmental Attitude Scale (TEAS) developed by Taj, 2001 was used to measure attitude of the students. Data was analyzed by Wilcoxon Sign rank Test, and result indicated th...

Positive Psychological Capital (PsyCap) is a vital build of Positive Psychology which consists of four psychological components namely Self-efficacy, Hope, Optimism and Resilience. Previous researches has shown that PsyCap do have a positive association with work-related outcomes such as employee engagement, employee attitude, behavior, and job performance. Most of the researches related to the PsyCap and Employee engagement were done on employees of multinational firms/ business strata ignoring the world’s largest organization “The Defence Establishments”. In today’s world defence personal’s operates in a very dynamic, technical and complex work environment, which brings drafting increase in mental health issues and hampering organizational outcome as well as employee engagement. The present study was undertaken to explore the relationship between Positive Psychological Capital (PsyCap) and Employee Engagement (EE) on a defence establishment of India. On the basis of availability o...

Today Stress is a part of our daily life work. Stress free life is nearly impossible to all people. But management of stress can be life easeful to live. Spiritual counseling can be one of the best tools for stress management. This research explores the effectiveness of spiritual counseling on stress level among college going students. Two group pre-post designs were used on Sample of 50 (25 in experimental and 25 in control group) college students. They were selected by incidental sampling method from the various colleges of Chhattisgarh. The age of the subjects ranged from 18 to 22 years. The experimental group was regularly exposed to Therapeutic intervention for 45 days. During this intervention the researcher discussed the problems with students & suggested them with solution through the reference of “Amritwani” heard every day. Data were collected through the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) by “Cohen”. For Statistical analysis of data “t-test.” Used. Results indicate highly signi...

The present paper presents Hindu approaches to dreams. In the west there are numerous concepts, theories, schools and information with regard to dreams. Hindu concepts about and approaches to dreams, though, are relatively untouched and unexplored and are thus largely unknown to westerners. The main concept of dreams and dreaming is closely linked to Hindu philosophy, mythology, and ancient writings such as the Puranas, Vedas, Upanishads, and so on. The major essence of the eternal self (atman), the seven fold classification of dreams and dreaming, dreams associated with the sex of the unborn child and human nature (“prakriti”) as based on the ayurvedic personality temperament theory (“tridosha”) form the major Hindu concepts of dreams. These are presented and discussed in this paper.

Background: Dyscalculia tends to debilitating for children with respect to their social interactions and learning process. Although it can cause so many problematic consequences in developmental stages of children, by implementing precise and in time therapeutic intervention, it can be mitigated. Current paper examines the efficacy of emotional regulation techniques among students who suffer from dyscalculia. Materials and Methods: This study was experimental study with pre-test and post-test and control group. Statistical Society of this study included all students (4th, 5th, 6th grader), who suffered from dyscalculia in Bileh town (Urumieh Province/Iran) during 2013-2014(N=76). This study consisted 34 students, who suffered from dyscalculia. These students were chosen via systematic random sampling. Data were collected using Raven IQ test, Shalev mathematical Test, Alexithymia Scale, Psychological wellbeing questionnaire. Regarding analyzing data, MANOVA was used. Results: The res...

Substance abuse among in children is a cause of concern across the globe. India shares this problem in massive volume and focuses its future adverse consequences on health, growth, productivity, and well-being. The health risks inherent, with substance abuse, often are linked with other risk behaviors (like early sexual activity, violence, academic failure, school dropout, delinquency) among children. This renders children vulnerable and poses a greater burden in terms of health, performance, and economic cost to the family and the nation. The available literature provides evidence that developed nations have taken cognizance of this problem long ago, and are working towards educating, rehabilitating, protecting children and preventing this problem. India is still oblivious of the concurrent and future threats and consequences. In spite of the gravity of the problem, not many systematic empirical research studies have focused on why children are turning towards alcoholism and substa...

The present piece of work attempts to fill this knowledge gap by capturing different shades of caregiving experiences of family members who were engaged in caregiving for their chronically ill family members or relatives. Maximum studies of caregiving indulge in caregivers of mentally ill. This study intends to apprehend how family caregivers in chronic illness perspective create implication of their caring role in the Indian setup.

In the last decades there has been a drastic increase in the-learning platforms. The innovations and technological advances in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) broadly enhances our vision in various field of life whether commercial, economical, social, education, banking sectors, transportation at national or international level. This paper gives an overviews about various information communication technology in the field of teacher education specially teleteaching i.e. educational which is imparted to the students through the use of various technology carried out in a asynchronous mode. A teleteaching is an online instructional technology specially being used in massive open online courses (MOOCS) for providing services such as live, recorded lectures as video streams. It also included some intelligent integration methods for enhancing student learning outcomes and experiences. Thus this paper gives a platform for improving learning experiences by collabo...

The purpose of this study was to apply the College Self-Efficacy Inventory (CSEI) scale to measure the social and psychological factors on Indian students. The major research question of the study is to answer whether the CSEI scale fit the data. The sample of the study is 141 in BBA and B.Com (H) first year in affiliated college of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University Delhi. Path analysis has been used in the study to examine the interrelationship between course-roommate-social self-efficacy. To analyse the data correlation, CFI, RMSEA, Cron bach alpha, regression weights, Durbin – Watson test etc. has been used. The study found affirmative steps in collecting validity evidence for the CSEI scale as well as found significant inter – relationship between course-roommate-social self-efficacy of Indian undergraduate students. It has been also found that CSEI scale can be used to measure college self- efficacy for the broader college experience of Indian students.

The study presented here is to understand the level of collective-efficacy and self-efficacy of teachers in the Nilgiris District Tamil Nadu. The study also helps us to understand the influence of collective-efficacy and self-efficacy on the innovative behaviour of Teachers. Stratified Random Sampling Method is used in this study to select 90 school teachers. The data is analysed using descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Correlation Coefficients.  In this study, the correlation between collective-efficacy and innovative work behaviour, self-efficacy and innovative work behaviour and collective-efficacy and self-efficacy were studied. The levels of collective- efficacy and self-efficacy and their influence on the innovative work behaviour were studied in teachers based on their designation, gender, experience and the type of school in which they work.

Due to profusion of opportunities, varied trends of job market and perceived risk associated with career as Officer in Indian Armed force has made it unpopular and unattractive among many adolescents. Rapid economic growth and changing social norms in the society have certainly divided adolescents into aspirants and non-aspirants for this career choice. Career in armed force is characterised by its dynamic nature and pride associated with it. A study was carried out to investigate as whether risk taking behaviour has a role in aspiring to become armed force officer. Studies in past has revealed many factors affecting a career preference such as educational qualification, aptitude, intellect, father’s occupation, interest and many more. In this study risk taking behaviour has been investigated between aspirants and non-aspirants. The result showed that aspirants have more risk taking behaviour than non-aspirants especially in fire and military services areas which demands more risk t...

The present study explored the relationship between knowledge, attitudes and competency skills of regular school teachers (n=149) pertaining to children with special education needs (CSEN) and Inclusive Education (IE). The knowledge about CSEN and IE were measured using a 4 point rating scale and an informal questionnaire that were specifically modified for this study. The attitudes, concerns and competency skills were measured using 4 point rating scales. Results of the study indicated significant correlations between knowledge about CSEN and attitudes towards disability and teacher efficacy for inclusive practices; attitudes towards disability and attitudes towards inclusive practices and attitudes towards inclusive education and concerns about inclusive education and teacher efficacy for inclusive practices. The findings offers insight into preparation of training programs for teachers for successful implementation of inclusive education.

Substance use estimates, however, are liable to change over time, depending upon diverse factors such as availability and cost of the substances in the community, existing legislations and their implementation, social perception and attitude about use of particular substances, peer pressure and other socio-cultural factors. About 122 drug dependence treatment centres or De-Addiction Centres (DACs) have been established by The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOH&FW), Government of India. While most of these government centres are associated with either general hospitals at the district levels (district hospitals or civil hospitals), some have also been attached with departments of Psychiatry at certain medical colleges. Only a few centres (about 42, mainly those in the north-eastern states of the country) receive recurrent grants from the union health ministry. Most others have been dependent on the state governments for the recurring expenditure (on staff salaries, supplies e...

Childhood experiences deeply influence a young person and profoundly affect emotional and physical health later in life. The present study aims to determine the stress and the stress manifestations among adolescents (N= 46), and the effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique on stress. Data were collected using stress rating scale and stress manifestation checklist from adolescents (N= 46) who were selected through convenience sampling from a selected school in Udupi, Karnataka. Results revealed that majority of adolescents (63%) experienced moderate stress specifically in the interpersonal domain. Psychological manifestations were more and depression (70%) was the most common manifestation experienced. Analysis using paired sample t test showed that there was significant reduction in stress and stress manifestations after the intervention revealing the effectiveness of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Technique on stress. Results suggest the need for early recognition and management of adolescent stress.

Self-esteem is one of the core aspects of human life, upon which we shape our behavior and attitude. It is primarily our evaluation about our own self. Assertiveness is the quality of an individual to be self-assured and confident without being aggressive. The present study employed an experimental pre test post test method and aims at assessing the effect of SE enhancement on assertiveness of school students of Bhopal. Coopersmith Self Esteem Scale and Assertiveness Inventory were used as tools. It was concluded that SE enhancement had a positive significant effect on the assertiveness of school children. Also, the mean assertiveness score for boys and girls did not show any significant difference.

The present study is based on a systematic research review. The review of literature is an important component of the research process and should be carried out in an orderly manner. It is also known as the back bone of research study. It involves a systematic identification, location and analysis of documents containing information related to the research problem. The purpose of reviewing literature is to determine what has already done by the scientific community related to the research problem and to gain an impression regarding different aspects of the topic understudy. The major objective of the current study is to conduct a systematic review on Perceived social support and resilience among orphans. To go ahead with this goal, it was very important to collect the literature on; (A). Orphans (B). Perceived social support among orphans. (C). Resilience among orphans.

Critical psychology, born out of the womb of the west, is an internal critique of the west's intimate principles. Critical psychology, drawing upon a critical version of psychoanalysis and an equally critical version of discourse analysis and setting to dialogue in the process the dissenting children of the west, has tried to carve out a space for a reformed (not merely reformed) psychology in the west. What can India offer to this field? One, India can offer 'Savage Freud' Girindrasekhar Bose's re-reading of one of the resources of critical psychology: psychoanalysis. Will this add value to the 'critique' that critical psychology embodies? Perhaps; but we will also have to demonstrate how and where it adds value. Two, India can also offer its own critical reading (a critical reading premised on 'cultural difference') of qualitative methodologyonce again considered a vital resource for critical psychologygiven the obsession of the mainstream with quantitative psychology. Three, India can offer to the somewhat sedate and contractual clinical setting of the west (paradigmatically standing for the 'professional method' that critical psychology now wishes to reform) the wholly/holy Other-provisionally termed 'faith healing'. What does faith healing do to the clinical setting? How are relationships of suffering-healing organized in faith driven settings? What clues do they offer to a modern culture that now sees the clinic as the only site of cure, and that has stripped itself of all other resources and imaginations of healing? In this paper, we would also like to suggest that the tradition of critical psychology in India cannot just rely on a critique of psychiatry or mainstream psychology. It has to be, simultaneously, a critique of Orientalism. Critical psychology in India is thus premised on a dual critique. It is critique of both the hegemonic Occident and the Occident's hegemonic description of the Orient. It is critique of both the West's hegemonic principles and principles (emanating from either the West or from the East) that hegemonize the East.

Background: Self- concept is accompanied by an understanding you have of yourself that’s based on your personal experiences, body image, the thoughts you have about yourself, and how you tend to label yourself in different situations. The purpose of this study was to measure the various aspects of self-concept of intermediate arts school students. Methods: Two groups were selected one is male and the other is female, both groups have 50 students. Each group has 25 male and 25 female students. Data were collected from the Delhi and National capital Region School students. In this research paper “self-concept questionnaire” by Dr. R.K. Saraswat was used. The scale consists of 48 items. “t” test was used for analysis. Results: The first group of male has standard deviation 17.31 and female group has standard deviation 16.05 hence the value of “t” test is 0.45.It shows that value is insignificant. There is no significance difference in the total self concept among male and female interm...

Lockdown efforts introduced as response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted various facets of life including the educational sector. This study focuses on teachers’ mental health during this period. Research indicates positive mental health offsets negative impact of stress. The relationship of mental health assets such as psychological well-being, and mindfulness to COVID-19 event related stress is examined in this study. Teachers in India were approached through social media using snowball sampling to complete a survey. The survey consisted of the short version of Scales of Psychological Well-being (SPWB; Ryff, 1989), Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale – Revised (CAMS-R; Feldman et al., 2007), and Impact of Event Scale – Revised (IES-R; Creamer, Bell, & Failla, 2003). Results indicate that there is moderate negative correlation between psychological well-being and impact of event, and between mindfulness and impact of event. Psychological well-b...

Constructivism is an epistemological view of knowledge acquisition which emphasize on the active role of the learners in the construction of knowledge and interpretation of reality. This paper describes about the constructivist teaching learning process on the way to construction of understanding. It demonstrates how learners construct their own knowledge and making sense of information in a constructivist classroom. It also pays focus on the importance of constructivist teaching methods and the teaching–learning environment of constructivist classroom with the changing roles of students and teachers in the class room.

This study aimed to describe how, why and to what extent psychology students self-diagnose and what impact this has on their lives, using an in-depth qualitative exploration. A sample of 8 students were taken and interviews were administered on them. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted on the results, revealing four global themes. These were: Causes of Self-Diagnosis, Methods of Self-Diagnosis, Effects of Self-Diagnosis and Academic Maturity. It was concluded that students self-diagnose based on earlier experiences as well as psychological information they learn in an academic setting and introspection methods. Factors such as schematic thinking played a role in self-diagnosis and it had positive and negative effects, which can be classified as cognitive, affective and behavioural effects. Academic Maturity was seen to be a protective factor against the negative effects of self-diagnosis.

The term empowerment has been widely used in the social sciences across a broad variety of disciplines. Empowerment in woman‘s development is a way of defining, challenging and overcoming barriers in her life through which she increases her ability to shape her life. The process of empowerment will not only be able to improve their skills and access to productive resources, but also succeed in enhancing quality, dignity and work in the society status. The effect of empowerment of women creates a powerful influence on the norms, values and finally the laws that govern these communities (Cheryl 1999; Czuba 1999; Nanette 1999; Page 1999). Empowerment includes cognitive and psychological elements, such as a women‘s understanding of her condition of subordination and the causes of such conditions. This requires an understanding the self and the cultural and social expectations, which may be activated by education.

Background: The transition from childhood to adolescence is associated with suicidal ideation (SI) and feelings of hopelessness. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of SI and hopelessness (and relevant family factors) among adolescents in southern Mexico studying in public and private high schools. Methods: A significant sample of high school students (15-19 years old) was taken in the city of Tuxtla Gutiérrez, the State of Chiapas, Mexico. The Beck scale for SI, the Beck hopelessness inventory, and a survey of family data were applied to adolescents, 364 in public and 240 in private high schools. Results: The teens in public schools showed a higher prevalence of hopelessness (32%) and SI+hopelessness (10%). In both public and private schools, these attitudes were more common among women as well as teens from small (3-4) families and those without a job. Conclusions: The behaviors found among teens of public and private high schools suggest the importance of a la...

Parents and siblings play a major role in influencing the self-esteem of an individual. The parents’ relationship with the child, their responses to the child’s academic performance which includes motivation as well as encouragement plays a huge role in building up a positive self-esteem which further helps them to develop a better personality; better career along with that self-esteem also helps one to solve their problems in life. In this research, data from 112 participants were collected through an online survey focusing on the relationship between parenting styles and self-esteem across a specific age range. Parenting styles were assessed using 20 question model(What questions, while self-esteem was evaluated using Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Through this research the effect of native place on one’s self esteem was determined along with the effect of other factors such as relationship with siblings, academic performance on self-esteem was analysed

In Indian Psychology individuals’ psychophysical constitution is reflection of their prakrti but not true self or Atman. The three elements of prakrti such as sattvic, rajasic and tamsic guna are recognized as triguna. Studies indicated that misbalances in terms of expression of these qualities essentially lead to the development of psychological disturbances. The present study was conducted to examine whether two groups of people such as sattvic- rajsic and rajsic-tamsic guna significantly differ in terms of percentage of total marks in undergraduate degree course examination, divine entitlement, divine struggle and psychological distress along with also in terms of correlations of these variables between each other. The participants (N=350) were post graduates from arts stream and belong to 20-23 years of age and all of them were from the middle socio-economic income group. These participants were initially screened and selected on the basis of attitude towards God scale 9 and remaining students were further selected in terms of the criteria for formation of group by using Vedic Personality Inventory. Thereafter, the respondents were administered with divine entitlement, divine struggle and psychological distress scale. Formulated hypotheses were tested by using descriptive, correlational and inferential statistics (Univariate analysis and z-test). Results analyzed which indicated that in comparison to the rajsic-tamsic group, sattvic-rajsic group performed better in examination and their sufferings were comparatively lesser in terms of divine entitlement, divine struggle and psychological distress. Results further indicated that for both the groups psychological distress increased with the increase in divine entitlement and divine struggle.

Schizophrenia is one of the psychotic disorders, which includes a significant loss of a touch of reality. It is marked by various positive and negative symptoms. From time to time many researchers came up with different ways to treat this condition. Some of the common interventions are first-generation and second-generation antipsychotic drugs, psychosocial interventions like cognitive behavioral therapies, skills training, psychoeducation, token economy, and so on. However, in the last ten years, many new psychosocial interventions have proven to be successful in treating the condition of schizophrenia. These techniques are not in the mainstream and therefore they are not well known. This review study aimed to highlight some of these techniques so that they could also be used by the clinicians along with the medications. This study is a preliminary step to make these techniques mainstream. Some of these techniques were identified and are explained in this paper.

The value of sex education for teenagers has been emphasized by social activists, psychologists and social scientists so that they may not become a victim of Sexually Transmitted Diseases such as HIV/AIDS, sexuality related complications and to eradicate social evils such as eve-teasing, sexual harassment and also to help the young people gain knowledge on the ability to protect themselves from sexual exploitation and threats. The purpose of this study is to measure the attitude of parents of teenagers aged 13-19 years towards sex education. Thirty parents of teenagers from the metropolitan city of Hyderabad were included in the sample. Purposive sampling method was used for this research. Attitude Scale towards Sex Education developed by Dr. Usha Mishra (2008) was used to measure the attitude of parents of teenagers. The results show that the parents of today’s teenagers have a positive or a high attitude towards sex education thus supporting the hypothesis and contradicting the ea...

This entry explores the problematic and highly
politicized concept of nepotism. This topic has
attracted significant attention in the academic
field. This entry offers an introduction to the
term and its historical evidences. Further, relation
of nepotism with culture, business, workplace,
politics, and leadership is discussed. Within the
context of sustainable development goals
16 (SDGs), nepotism shall be understood as a
factor causing disturbance on peace, inclusivity,
and justice of societies

The concept of mental health comprised to the health conditions of people without suffering any mental or psychological problem such as stress, depression, anxiety and other form of psychic disorders. In this regard it can be said that no one is free from and psychological, psycho-physical and psycho-social disorders from which we can derive that no one mentally healthy. But the concept of mental health defined free from the disorders those are prolonged and panic in nature. As the concept of mental health is subjective in nature, it varies from person to person. Besides free from the disorders, a person should pose some of the other positive characteristics to deal with the society effectively. Marry (1958) stated that, a person can be considered mentally healthy with the following characteristics such as (a) Positive attitudes toward himself/herself; (b) Realization of own potentialities through action; (c); Unification of in personality; (d) Degree of independence of social influ...

The paper has attempted to understand the status of „Psychology of Health‟ course offered in undergraduate programme within a larger debate between mainstream and critical health psychological (CHP) perspectives. The theoretical perspectives from critical psychology have been borrowed to understand and analyse the content of the course. The experiences gained in the classroom teaching of the course to undergraduate students have been utilised to assess and examine its curriculum. As analysis of the theoretical review of present literature, I have presented my critical views on certain basic foundations of mainstream health psychology (MHP) by challenging certain assumptions of it and have made some more indigenous suggestions for more holistic understanding of the discipline and for making space for critical and interdisciplinary explanations about health.

The 'entry point' into the history of psychoanalysis in India could be offered by 'Savage Freud', practiced proto-psychiatry in a mental hospital, taught psychology and psychoanalysis in the Calcutta University and wrote (psychoanalytically singed) commentaries on the Bhāgvad Gītā (1948, 1931), the Yoga Sūtras (1966), the Purāas (2001, 1934) and proposed, A New Theory of Mental Life. Girindrasekhar Bose, already a medical professional, obtained a Master's degree in psychology (1917) and was awarded the first doctorate in psychology at an Indian university in 1921. His PhD thesis was titled 'The Concept of Repression'. In writing a 'history of psychoanalysis in India' this paper encounters two questions: why write a history of psychoanalysis and how does one write a history of psychoanalysis. In the process the paper also distinguishes between a logic of the Indian psyche and an 'Indian' logic of the psyche. There is however no one understanding of India, and 'India' is indeed a multi-stranded perspective-a perspective haunted by numerous inner contradictions.

Nowadays organizations are facing high attrition rate because of abundant job opportunities in the competitive market, to retain skilled and talented workforce is the major challenge that is faced by majority of organizations. To improve retention rate organizations need to consider human factors, while designing job. These human factors include Quality of Work Life and Employee Commitment. The present review paper addresses the factors associated with components of QWL and components of Employee Commitment. From the study is identified that employee commitment has three components they are Affective, Normative, Continuance commitment and QWL is a multidimensional construct it includes job satisfaction, adequate pay, work environment, organizational culture etc, these factors affects on the employee performance, productivity, absenteeism, retention rate etc. These QWL components may affect on the commitment of employees towards the organization, it may also enhance retention rate. E...

India is on the verge of an explosion of mental illnesses. In the coming few years India as a nation would need a number of psychologists and mental health professionals to help people deal with these problems. A probe was made to explore the opportunities for future mental health professionals and challenges they would face in their careers. It was noted that a number of people were suffering with mental problems and there was a serious lack of mental health professionals in India. Hospitals and schools were the places where mental health professionals could look for various opportunities. Some challenges like poor salary and absence of any licensing authorities are the biggest challenges for upcoming psychologists in their career in India.