Peer-reviewed papers, grant reports and articles produced by TRIN researchers and our collaborating partners.
Subjective wellbeing in terms of objective outcome can be useful to determine the level of progress in clinical practice as well as research studies in Bangladesh. Besides, cultural understanding of well-being for Bangladeshi population is also equally important to report. A valid Bangla version of the five-item WHO Well-being Index can be a suitable measure to achieve the purposes. Therefore, the present study aimed at validating the WHO-5 Well-being Index for general population in Bangladesh.
Read the publicationThe COVID-19 lockdown, the advent of working from home, and other unprecedent events have resulted in multilayer and multidimensional impacts on our personal, social, and occupational lives. Mental health conditions are deteriorating, financial crises are increasing in prevalence, and the need to stay at home has resulted in the increased prevalence of domestic violence. In Bangladesh, where domestic violence is already prevalent, the lockdown period and stay-at-home orders could result in more opportunities and increased scope for perpetrators of domestic violence.
Read the publicationPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) negatively influences a person's ability to cope and increases psychiatric morbidity. The existing diagnostic tools of PTSD are often difficult to administer within marginalized communities due to language and cultural barriers, lack of skilled clinicians, and stigma around disclosing traumatic experiences. We present an initial proof of concept for a novel, low-cost, and creative method to screen the potential cases of PTSD based on free-hand sketches within three different communities in Bangladesh: Rohingya refugees (n = 44), slum-dwellers (n = 35), and engineering students (n = 85). Due to the low overhead and nonverbal nature of sketching, our proposed method potentially overcomes communication and resource barriers. Using corner and edge detection algorithms, we extracted three features (number of corners, number and average length of strokes) from the images of free-hand sketches. We used these features along with sketch themes, participants' gender and group to train multiple logistic regression models for potentially screening PTSD (accuracy: 82.9-87.9%). We improved the accuracy (99.29%) by integrating EEG data with sketch features in a Random Forest model for the refugee population. Our proposed initial assessment method of PTSD based on sketches could potentially be integrated with phones and EEG headsets, making it widely accessible to the underrepresented communities.
Read the publicationThe rapidly escalating COVID-19 pandemic has brought telemedicine into the light in many countries, including Bangladesh, with potential to revamp current approaches to patient care. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has encouraged using telemedicine platforms to provide remote and timely access to care and reduce transmission risks. Telepsychiatry is popularly known as the medium of delivery of health care and the exchange of health information for the purpose of providing psychiatric services remotely, across widespread geographical areas. This is particularly the ‘need of hour’ due to the fact that long waiting times, social stigmas and restricted access during pandemic situations, like COVID-19, make it difficult to receive mental health care.
Read the publicationAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a condition that influences communication, social interaction, behavior, and interests. Information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows the pervasiveness of ASD is roughly one of every 54 children. People diagnosed with ASD have restricted behavioral functions, such as stereotype behavior or inability to adjust to new situations. Kids with ASDs often exhibit more than one core ASD symptom, and many also suffer from associated symptoms, such as severe tantrums or sleep problems.
Read the publicationCare for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be challenging for families and medical care systems. This is especially true in low- and- middle-income countries such as Bangladesh. To improve family–practitioner communication and developmental monitoring of children with ASD, mCARE (Mobile-Based Care for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Remote Experience Sampling Method) was developed. Within this study, mCARE was used to track child milestone achievement and family sociodemographic assets to inform mCARE feasibility/scalability...
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