Recent News - Department of Psychology - SRM University-AP

Dr Aehsan Ahmad Dar, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, published the article titled “A Cross-Sectional Study on Mental Health of School Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic in India” in the journal Data in collaboration with academicians from different universities across the country and abroad.

The present study estimated the mental health of school students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic caused stress which increased the levels of anxiety and depression among the students. However, social support from family and friends was found to be a protective factor for mental health.

The findings of the research will serve as a reliable source of information for mental health professionals and policymakers to better understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other traumatic experiences on mental health. Therefore, necessary efforts are suggested to provide mental health support services to prevent the development of mental disorders.

Dr Aehsan’s future research plan is to study the mental health of youth and ascertain its risk and protective factors. About 19% of the world’s children live in India, which constitutes 42% of the total Indian population, and nearly half of these children are vulnerable and need care and protection. Due to various traumatic experiences, stress has increased among young people resulting in the development of various physical and mental disorders.

His research will focus on the pathogenic (posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, somatization) and salutogenic (posttraumatic growth and resilience) consequences of trauma to help the youth withstand adverse experiences to develop psychological competence. The research will provide insights into the mental health status of youth that would be helpful for the administration, policymakers, and other voluntary organizations to understand effective ways to devise and implement the best intervention programs for maximizing mental health protective factors and minimizing its risk factors.

Sravani Govindu is proud to be a part of the first ever batch of Psychology from SRM University-AP. She is always amazed by the influence the faculty and friends had on her character development throughout the years. Sravani recollects how she was an unbothered soul without any focus before joining the university and what she became after experiencing the rhythm of the campus. During her university life, she recognised the value of having a sense of purpose. The continuous efforts from the faculty to provide the right amount of guidance and motivation will forever be a fuelling force in Sravani’s career. She is beyond grateful to the supportive academic community on the campus which became her backbone whenever she was uncertain. The value-oriented course structure at SRM AP encouraged her on many levels. Sravani adores the welcoming aura of the campus and the dynamics between students from various states and countries. She is ready to welcome a new chapter at Greenwich University while holding a bunch of memories from SRM AP.

Meenu Roy is proud to be an SRMite and belongs to the first batch of Psychology at the University. She is in awe of the momentum her personality growth acquired from the eventful campus life. Clubs and other university activities helped her try things beyond her expectations. She enjoyed the whole process of exploring herself throughout the academic venture at SRM University-AP. She finds it fortunate to have a supportive academic ecosystem at her crucial career junction. Meenu is about to pursue her master’s degree from the University of Westminster, UK. Her admiration towards the faculty and friends she had at SRM AP grows further as she continues to go places and prove herself. A part of the campus life and wisdom she enjoyed at the university will stay with her for a lifetime while she keeps on adding value to the recognition of SRM University-AP with her academic intelligence.

Uha Lakkireddy recently completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from SRM University-AP. The tremendous support and motivation from the university have helped her nurture self-confidence and self-satisfaction. Uha noticed how she transformed as an individual from the time of enrolling in the university until the time of graduation. As a psychology student, she was able to grasp several interesting theories which had exciting applications in real life. In-depth details included in the course structure assisted her in the most unexpected but necessary situations. Uha finds it very fascinating that the graduation period has essentially taught her some extremely valuable life lessons. She remembers learning the importance of physical activities in maintaining mental health through Sports Psychology. Uha’s journey as an ardent Clinical Psychology student is taking a huge turn from SRM AP to Greenwich University, UK. She gives all the credit to her faculty and peers, who have always encouraged her to work hard.

Chandrika Reddy from BSc Psychology at SRM University-AP is excited to continue her studies in Psychology to the next level (Post Graduation) at Adelphi University, New York. She is among the bright students who have secured admission to global universities abroad. Chandrika ecstatically mentioned the exposure she collected from the carefully laid out curriculum and course structure at SRM AP. Her journey as an SRMite was quite eventful. She had excellent professors, classmates, and friends who contributed equally to her growth. She had various opportunities to get engaged in the activities aligned with the coursework and re-establish her hobbies. Being a student of the first graduating batch of BSc Psychology, Chandrika’s achievement is a motivation to all students. She thanked all the professors and peers for their kind support and encouragement throughout this journey.

Department of Psychology, SRM University, AP-Andhra Pradesh organised a guest lecture on the topic “Prospective Memory and Aging in Medication Adherence: An Experimental Investigation” on January 27, 2022, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm. Dr Azizuddin Khan, Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology-Mumbai, attended the session as the eminent speaker.

The session started with a brief introduction of Prof Khan by Mrs Ayesha Parveen Haroon, Lecturer, Department of Psychology. Thereafter, Prof Khan delivered his lecture wherein he deliberated upon the medical adherence, aging and prospective memory as well as the factors affecting medical adherence. Specifically, he emphasised the effect of memory and intellectual abilities on medical adherence. Following Prof Khan’s presentation, the questions raised by the audience were communicated to Prof Khan by Dr Aehsan Ahmad Dar, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology. Prof Khan provided interesting insights on the questions raised. The programme ended with the vote of thanks delivered by Dr Ninad Patwardhan, Assistant Professor and Faculty Coordinator, Department of Psychology.