Psychiatry and Society

Aptitude testing for responsible work choice Aptitude testing for career guidance has existed only since the 1930s . Aptitude testing was not needed until work choice became freely available about 200 years ago. Before that a person had no choice in his field of work. People trained for whatever their parents did. If they had access to patronage or money they could take up a profession. Now, with the concept of Right to Education, governments seek to extend career choice to all socioeconomic strata. With this new privilege of work choice comes the responsibility of choosing wisely. Aptitude testing takes into account abilities, personality, intelligence and motivation for making a career choice. Work choice a brief history For 10,000 years we did the work our parents did. In the initial millennia of mankind’s existence, work was necessary for survival. Primitive man was a hunter-gatherer to fulfil the biological need for food. As the first human settlements evolved man be...

Difficulty with reading, spelling and maths is rampant among Indian students. Two recent reports have highlighted this academic underachievement. The academic infrastructure is definitely a major contributor. However, unrecognised dyslexia  or other learning disability  also needs to be considered by every concerned parent and enlightened teacher. We have already discussed the management of dyslexia . Here we underline the urgent need for action. India ranked 72nd of 73 countries in a comparative international survey (PISA) of 15-year-old students. All students were assessed on the same test for knowledge and skills in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy. A sample of more than 5000 students from 200 Indian schools were assessed in this program. In none of these categories did more than 17% of Indian students scored above baseline levels as compared to 81% of students from OECD countries (US, UK, Australia etc). 15-year-olds scoring above baseline...

Microscopic picture of the brain showing amyloid plaques and  neurofibrillary tangles first seen by Alois Alzheimer in 1907 The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease became headline news when the defence counsel of a prominent citizen of  Pune stated they were awaiting results of his brain MRI to finalise the diagnosis of dementia. Recently a patient's medication was stopped when his neuro-physician declared there were 'no plaques on MRI so it is not a case of Alzheimers'. The caregivers returned to me when his behaviour problems recurred. Dementia including that of the Alzheimer's type is a clinical diagnosis (Grand 2011). Dementia is characterised by a triad of Progressive deterioration of mental processes ( cognitive abilities ) Behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia ( BPSD ) Difficulties carrying out day-to-day activities ( activities of daily living or ADL).   Alzheimer's Disease is commonest dementia after 65 years of age Alzheime...