Indian Journal of Health Social Work
(UGC Care List Journal)
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CURRENT ISSUE
Volume 5 | Issue 1 | January-July, 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.
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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.
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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).
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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ISSN: 2582-1393 (Online)