Indian Journal of Psychiatric Social Work

Parental sexual communication, sexual self-efficacy, and sexual anxiety among young adults

2025-03-26T14:14:12+00:00

Background: This study examines the impact of parental sexual communication on young adults' sexual self-efficacy and anxiety, with an emphasis on gender differences. Effective parental communication is crucial for promoting safe sexual behaviours, boosting confidence, and mitigating fears associated with sexual health. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional design involved 200 young adults aged 18–29 from Maharashtra, selected using convenience sampling. Data collection utilised the Sexual Health Practices Self-Efficacy Scale (SHPSES), Sex Anxiety Inventory (SAI), and Family Sex Communication Quotient (FSCQ). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, linear regression, and independent t-tests were conducted to explore relationships and gender differences. Results: Parental sexual communication showed a small positive correlation with sexual self-efficacy (r = 0.140, p < 0.05) but no significant correlation with sexual anxiety (r = -0.120). Regression analysis confirmed that Parental sexual communication was significantly associated with sexual self-efficacy, although the regression model explained only 2% (R² = 0.020, p < 0.001) of the variance. Gender differences revealed no variation in sexual self-efficacy and parental sexual communication but highlighted higher sexual anxiety in females compared to males (t = -5.779, p < 0.001). Conclusion: The findings emphasise the critical role of parental communication in enhancing young adults’ sexual self-efficacy, while the observed gender disparities in sexual anxiety underline the need for gender-specific strategies to address emotional challenges in sexual health. These results highlight the value of open, informed parental dialogues in fostering positive sexual development.

Keywords: Parental sexual communication, sexual anxiety, sexual self-efficacy, sexual behaviour, sexual awareness

From social casework to low-intensity psychosocial interventions: Repositioning psychiatric social work in contemporary mental health care

2021-05-28T10:17:13+00:00

The persistent mental health treatment gap has increased interest in psychological and psychosocial interventions (PSI) that can extend care beyond specialist services. The World Health Organization (WHO) has promoted scalable and low-intensity interventions such as Problem Management Plus (PM+), Self-Help Plus (SH+), Thinking Healthy and Step-by-Step, using structured strategies, task-sharing, guided self-help and stepped care. Although these approaches are relatively recent in global mental health, several of their underlying principles have longstanding parallels in professional social work, particularly social casework, psychosocial casework, problem-solving, task-centred and strengths-based practice. This editorial examines the relationship between these traditions and contemporary low-intensity psychosocial interventions and considers their implications for Psychiatric Social Work (PSW). Low intensity refers to reduced specialist input, not reduced professional skill or responsibility. PSWs, with expertise in psychosocial assessment, casework, family intervention, rehabilitation and community practice, are well positioned to contribute to the delivery, adaptation, supervision and evaluation of such interventions. However, effective task-sharing requires competency-based training, supervision, risk assessment, fidelity and clear pathways for referral and escalation. Integrating the intervention traditions of social work with contemporary evidence-based and scalable approaches may strengthen the role of PSW in accessible, community-oriented mental health care.

Keywords: Social casework; psychosocial intervention; low-intensity intervention; scalable intervention; task-centred practice; task-sharing; stepped care

Childhood sexual abuse victimization and later sexual offending: A narrative review

2025-05-08T07:12:44+00:00

Background: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a major public health, child-protection, and psychosocial concern associated with adverse psychological, behavioural, interpersonal, and social outcomes. A frequently discussed hypothesis is that some survivors may subsequently engage in sexual offending. However, the evidence is heterogeneous, and a history of CSA should not be treated as a deterministic pathway to later offending. Objective: To review the literature on the association between childhood sexual abuse victimization and subsequent sexual offending and to identify individual, abuse-related, family, interpersonal, and social factors that may increase or reduce this risk. Methods: The manuscript reports a narrative review of 57 studies published between 1993 and 2021, identified primarily through Google Scholar and covering approximately 39 journals. The original manuscript did not document a reproducible search strategy, detailed eligibility criteria, or a formal risk-of-bias assessment. Accordingly, the present article is framed as a narrative synthesis rather than a systematic review or meta-analysis. Results: The reviewed literature provides mixed evidence. Some retrospective, clinical, and offender-sample studies report an association between childhood sexual abuse and later sexual offending, whereas prospective population-based studies indicate that only a minority of sexually abused children subsequently become sexual offenders and that many sexual offenders do not have a documented history of childhood sexual abuse. Additional factors—including other forms of maltreatment, family violence, neglect, inadequate supervision, problematic sexual behaviour, attachment difficulties, and broader social and developmental vulnerabilities—may influence outcomes. Conclusion: Childhood sexual abuse may be associated with later sexual offending in a subset of survivors, but the evidence does not support an inevitable or deterministic victim-to-perpetrator pathway. Prevention and intervention should therefore focus on trauma-informed care, early identification of problematic sexual behaviour, strengthening safe and supportive relationships, addressing co-occurring maltreatment and substance use, and improving access to child-protection and mental-health services.

Keywords: Child sexual abuse; sexual offending; victimization; risk factors; protective factors; trauma

Cultural Practices and Misconception encircling Menstruation in India

2025-04-16T06:22:08+00:00

This paper attempts to understand the menstruation in Indian context. The studies done in the area of menstruation has been synthesised by the researcher in context of socio cultural norms, cultural practices and misconception and the understanding encircling menstruation. It argues on the taboos associated with menstruation and its consequences. It is been discussed, how misconception encircling the menstruation prohibits women from many aspects of life especially in India.