Revitalizing the IJPSW: Strengthening collaboration and ensuring sustainability

Kamlesh Kumar Sahu — 2024-09-21

Dear Esteemed Readers,

I hope this message finds you well. I have been planning to connect with you for some time now. Unfortunately, various circumstances have hindered this effort until now. However, it has become increasingly apparent to me that I must discuss and determine the future course of action for our journal.

As you are aware, rather than beginning a new journal, I chose to revive the Indian Journal of Psychiatric Social Work (IJPSW) in 2017. Since then, we have successfully published 16 issues across eight volumes, spanning from 2017 to the present year of 2024. To date, we have proudly released 150 new articles and have collected and digitized approximately 50 older articles, either partially or in full, which have subsequently been published. These accomplishments are a testament to our shared commitment to advancing the field of Psychiatric Social Work (PSW). We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each author for trusting us and sharing their valuable work. Likewise, we deeply appreciate and thank all the editorial board members and reviewers for their time, support, and dedication.

The IJPSW was established with a clear vision: to create a platform of PSWs, for PSWs, and by PSWs. This vision aimed to address the prevailing gaps within the PSW fraternity, offering a dedicated space for PSW professionals to share their research, insights, and experiences. However, it has become evident that the initial vision has not fully materialized as we had envisioned. The dynamic nature of the PSW field, coupled with emerging challenges and opportunities, necessitates a re-evaluation and refocus of our efforts to ensure the journal's vibrancy and relevance.

To this end, we have decided to open the journal's editorial board to professionals from other allied disciplines. Currently, we are fortunate to have a good number of faculty and professionals from various esteemed institutions and disciplines, including Social Work, Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, and Behavioural Sciences, both from India and abroad. This growing diversity is a strength, and we believe it will provide new directions and dimensions to the journal. By inviting contributions from these allied fields, we aim to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, broaden the scope of our journal, and enrich the content we offer to our readers.

However, we must acknowledge the challenges we have faced. A significant setback occurred when our website experienced a crash during the process of updating the Open Journal Systems (OJS) software to a newer version. This unfortunate incident resulted in the loss of both article and user data, leaving the website without papers for an extended period. Despite these challenges, I am pleased to inform you that, after considerable effort, all the papers have been successfully uploaded and are now visible on the journal website. However, during this process, some mismatches with DOI and URL links occurred, rendering them inactive. We are diligently working to correct these discrepancies, and we anticipate that they will be rectified shortly.

As we move forward, there are three key elements we must prioritize to ensure the sustainability and success of the IJPSW:

Regular Submission of Quality Articles: We must continue to encourage the submission of high-quality articles. The journal's reputation and relevance depend on the calibre of the research and content we publish. We urge all our contributors and readers to actively participate in this process, whether through submitting their work or encouraging peers to contribute.

Active Participation in Review and Editorial Work: The success of our journal is also contingent on the active involvement of our editorial board members and reviewers. We need a robust team of dedicated professionals who can provide timely and constructive feedback to authors, ensuring the quality and integrity of the published work. So, we kindly request you to join our review board your involvement will help us in moving forward.

Subscriptions and Support: The financial stability of our journal is crucial to its continuity and growth. We rely on subscriptions, both individual and institutional, to cover our operational costs, which include essential services such as getting Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) for each published paper maintaining our domain and website. These are critical for handling editorial processing, peer-review management, digital publication, and indexing. Additionally, while much of the desktop publishing (DTP) work is voluntarily handled by the Editor-in-Chief, printing costs still pose a significant expense.

We sincerely acknowledge the support of the few institutional subscribers who have already partnered with us, and we express our gratitude for their commitment. Their contributions ensure that we can continue delivering high-quality content. However, to further enhance the journal’s sustainability, we encourage all of our readers and supporters to consider subscribing, either individually or through their affiliated institutions. We also urge them to actively promote the journal within their networks, as doing so will not only expand its reach but also strengthen its financial foundation. This collective effort is key to ensuring the journal remains a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, and practitioners. We sincerely extend our gratitude to our current subscribing institutions for their invaluable support. Their contributions play a vital role in maintaining the quality and accessibility of our content. However, to further enhance the reach and impact of the journal, we encourage all of our readers, researchers, and academic supporters to consider subscribing either individually or through their institutions. Additionally, we urge them to promote the journal within their networks, highlighting its relevance and importance in advancing knowledge within the field. Together, through this collective effort, we can ensure that the journal continues to thrive as a resource for scholars and practitioners alike.

The Indian Journal of Psychiatric Social Work (IJPSW) is an Open Access journal, adhering to the principles outlined by the Budapest Open Access Initiative (BOAI).^[1] This means that users have unrestricted rights to "read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of these articles" without any barriers. IJPSW follows a 'Platinum' open access model, meaning there are no Article Processing Charges (APC) or publication fees for authors. Articles are made immediately accessible on the journal's website upon publication.

Furthermore, IJPSW allows authors to retain the full copyright of their work without any restrictions. We publish under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.^[2] This license grants others the right to:

Share: Copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.

Attribution: Give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if any changes were made. Attribution must be done in a way that doesn’t imply endorsement by the licensor.

Non-Commercial: The material cannot be used for commercial purposes.

No Derivatives: If the material is remixed, transformed, or built upon, the modified content cannot be distributed.

No additional restrictions or legal measures that limit the rights granted under this license may be applied.

In conclusion, the IJPSW remains a vital platform for the PSW community. However, to realize its full potential, we must adapt and evolve. With your continued support and active participation, I am confident that we can overcome the challenges we face and continue to contribute meaningfully to the field of Psychiatric Social Work.

Thank you for your attention and cooperation.

Family functioning in persons with schizophrenia: Cross sectional study across the genders

Santos Behera — 2024-09-21

Background: Schizophrenia is a significant and disabling condition that puts a financial and emotional burden on the supporting family members. The aim of the study was to explore the family functioning among the persons diagnosed with schizophrenia and differences across genders. Materials and Methods: The study was a cross-sectional, hospital-based observational research conducted at the tertiary care institution. A purposive sampling technique was used to select participants, resulting in a sample size of 65, calculated using G*Power software. Inclusion criteria included individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia according to ICD-10, with a duration of illness over two years and an age range of 21 to 60 years. Family caregivers with co-morbid psychiatric or organic illnesses, substance abuse history, or those caring for more than one patient were excluded. Data was collected using a Socio-Demographic Data Sheet and the Family Assessment Device (FAD), a standardized measure assessing seven subscales of family functioning. SPSS version 20 was used for statistical analysis, including tests of normality and descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. Results: The family assessment data using the McMaster Family Assessment Device (FAD) shows significant dysfunction across multiple domains among individuals with schizophrenia, with notable gender differences. Conclusion: These findings highlight the need for tailored interventions that address specific challenges faced by males and females to improve family functioning and support recovery.

A qualitative study on living a meaningful life with chronic mental health conditions

Sushma Kumari — 2024-09-21

Background: Mental health conditions are generally seen as involving lifelong adversities with high vulnerability to social marginalization, health hazards, and economic deprivation. In spite of these adversities, many individuals struggling with mental health conditions are leading outstanding lives of courage and dignity. They contribute equally to society, just as other members who do not have mental health conditions. Existing scientific research has largely focused on the negative outcomes associated with mental health conditions, often overlooking those who are living meaningful lives. Considering this, the present study aimed to shed light on the lived experiences of personal recovery among individuals with chronic mental health conditions that enabled them to lead meaningful lives. Methodology: The present study employed an exploratory qualitative research design. Individuals with mental illness who were stable on treatment and capable of recognizing their functional, occupational, and social abilities for leading meaningful lives were included. All participants were assessed in detail through in-depth interviews about their lives and personal journeys after obtaining their consent. Results: The main themes that emerged from the study were related to personal aspirations for a better future, recovery needs, retention of gainful employment, and being acknowledged as a respected person rather than merely a patient. Conclusion: This study could help change the prevailing attitudes among the general public regarding individuals with mental illness by demonstrating how they can challenge the deficits associated with mental illness and excel in the specific areas they engage in.