AIAMSWP

CURRENT ISSUE

Volume 5 | Issue 1 | January-June, 2023

Editorial
HEALTHCARE PRACTICES USING SOCIAL WORK
Health policymakers at the macro level can focus on health infrastructure and inform patients about medical care rather than just treatment, and with an rising patient population in the community, social workers can be used to uncover causes of sickness in the public. Access to healthcare varies from country to country, from group to group, and from person to person, based on social, economic, cultural, and health regulations. Social workers can help people understand diverse cultures and settings by working in this profession. Correct and efficient support systems, suitable facilities and equipment will be finished to deliver high-quality medical services and technologies. On the other hand, the role of social work in the health care system and social services is vastly different from that of other professions.
Review Article
YOGA AS THERAPY FOR MENTAL HEALTH
Yoga is an ancient system of body and mind exercises that began during the Indus Valley Civilization in South Asia. The first written record of this technique appears in the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali in the 3rd or 4th century BC (Singh, 1983). Yoga is conceptualized as the science of consciousness that deals with the transformation of the individual self (Nagendra, 2008). Patanjali defines it as masa (control), niyamas (observation), asana (postures), pranayama (control or breathing), pratya-hara (sensory withdrawal), dharana (concentration), dhyana (meditation) and Samadhi (self-realization). Yoga has been around for centuries in the Indian REVIEW ARTICLE subcontinent and is promoted as a lifestyle and a means to improve overall health.
ORIGINAL Articles
SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH OF FEMALE MIGRANT WORKERS: UNDERSTANDING FIELD REALITIES AND VIEWING THEM THROUGH A SOCIOECOLOGICAL LENS
Migration of people is among the three key demographic process, the other two being birth, and ageing and death. The three together have been the cornerstones of population changes in all societies. A migrant as defined by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) as “a person who moves away from his or her place of usual residence, whether within a country or across an international border, temporarily or permanently, and for a variety of reasons” It may be said here that a universal definition of the term ‘migrant’ is presently unavailable. The movement takes regardless of a person’s legal status, voluntary or involuntary status of the movement, causes for the movement and length of the stay (UN Migration Agency).
SANITATION: AN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HAZARD AMONG LOCO-PILOTS IN MALDA DIVISION OF EASTERN RAILWAY
Railways are important transportation systems, enabling the movement of people and goods efficiently across vast distances. The functioning of trains requires a dedicated workforce, including locomotive pilots, who operate the locomotives to help keep the traffic moving. These pilots, commonly known as train drivers, play a critical role in ensuring the safe travel of passengers and cargo. However, locomotive pilots face various challenges including sanitation hazards, which SANITATION: AN OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HAZARD AMONG LOCO-PILOTS IN MALDA DIVISION OF EASTERN RAILWAY Ushnish Guha1 , Indranil Sarkar2 , Debotosh Sinha3 1Research Scholar, Department of Social Work, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, 2Ph.D., Department of Social Work, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan, 3Professor, Department of Social Work, Visva-Bharati, Sriniketan Correspondence: Ushnish Guha, email: ushnishguha@gmail.com can significantly impact their health and overall well-being. This article aims to shed light on the sanitation hazards faced by locomotive pilots in railways. India boasts one of the world’s largest and busiest railway networks, connecting diverse regions and facilitating the movement of millions of people, essential and valuable cargo daily through passenger and freight (goods) trains. The Loco-Pilot was earlier used to refer to the occupation in the railways when there was a colonial context but gradually with time there has been a change from loco-man (who used to operate the then steam powered locomotive) to loco-pilot which is a designation in the contemporary context.
A STUDY ON FAMILY FUNCTIONING DURING COVID-19
A phobia is a fear that significantly impairs a person’s ability to go about their daily lives. A life-impairing action is avoiding the dreaded thing or situation (Schowalter, 1994). There are numerous types of anxiety disorders, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). These include selective mutism, particular phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder. The specific phobias can be further divided into kinds related to animals, the natural world, situations, and blood injection injuries (Muris, et.al.). Claustrophobia: – Claustrophobia is a specific phobia where one fears closed spaces (claustro means closed). One of the anxiety disorders, claustrophobia is defined by a fear of enclosed and cramped spaces. Claustrophobia is thought to be one of the most common pathological anxieties, along with agoraphobia. Patients with claustrophobia experience discomfort and even anxiety in enclosed spaces, such as elevators, cramped rooms without windows, hallways, attics, basements, etc. The trait of claustrophobic persons is that they never shut the door to the room and always strive to stand close to the exit so that they can escape the room quickly
LGBTQ COMMUNITIES IN INDIA: BARRIERS IN ACCESSING HEALTH CARE FACILITIES
Social stratification in Indian society has been multifarious – along the lines of class, religion, language, education, that transect with sexuality and further add to oppressions. In India, the discriminatory attitudes and actions against gender variant persons is antagonistic and have been reaffirmed on the pretext of these groups being anti-religious, anti-social or simply anti-tradition. This ostracisation and hostility is an infringement of their fundamental rights. Sexual minorities in the Indian society have found cultural acceptance throughout history – popularly the Hijras – and have existed in the peripheries at other times shrouded in invisibility and silence but these have been replaced by a culture of stigma and oppression. Queer has often been the overarching term for those persons who identify as gay, lesbian, transgender and/or bi-sexual. According to Queer theory, identities of individuals, especially their sexual identities, are not stable and unambiguous as the socially given identities sometimes do not match the selfidentities constructed by the grown-up agencies.
Case Reports
A CASE REPORT ON CLAUSTROPHOBIA
A phobia is a fear that significantly impairs a person’s ability to go about their daily lives. A life-impairing action is avoiding the dreaded thing or situation (Schowalter, 1994). There are numerous types of anxiety disorders, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). These include selective mutism, particular phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder. The specific phobias can be further divided into kinds related to animals, the natural world, situations, and blood injection injuries (Muris, et.al.). Claustrophobia: – Claustrophobia is a specific phobia where one fears closed spaces (claustro means closed). One of the anxiety disorders, claustrophobia is defined by a fear of enclosed and cramped spaces. Claustrophobia is thought to be one of the most common pathological anxieties, along with agoraphobia. Patients with claustrophobia experience discomfort and even anxiety in enclosed spaces, such as elevators, cramped rooms without windows, hallways, attics, basements, etc. The trait of claustrophobic persons is that they never shut the door to the room and always strive to stand close to the exit so that they can escape the room quickly.
LETTER TO EDITOR
The LGBTQ+ community comprises individuals whose sexual orientations and gender identities do not conform to heterosexual and cisgender norms. It is a diverse group, encompassing various identities and experiences (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, and more). Even though the Honourable Supreme Court has scrapped IPC Section 377 decriminalizing adult gay relationships, we as a society still need to accept them fully and normally. This community has always been an area of concern for social workers, due to the immense challenges and daily life discrimination faced by them. CHALLENGES FACED BY THE LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY – Discrimination and stigma are pervasive issues that affect LGBTQ+ individuals in various aspects of life. Their basic physical appearance and behaviour is often mocked. Constitutionally mandated life of dignity and self-respect is a distant dream for many of them. Societal pressures, constant rejection and harassment, sometimes by one’s own family puts LGBTQ+ individuals at higher risk of mental health issues. Restrictions on whom to marry, how to behave or how to dress can be psychologically burdening.
INSTRUCTION FOR AUTHORS
The “Indian Journal of Health Social Work” is a biannual E-journal which will be published in the month of January and July in every year. The Indian Journal of Health Social Work is an official publication of All India Association of Medical Social Work Professionals (AIAMSWP). The journal accepts original research work, review articles, case reports, commentary, forum, & brief communication related to social work practice in health care.