ABSTRACT
Introduction: Cancer is a chronic disease with an increasing incidence. Other than common complications of chronic diseases, the vague prognosis and early threat of cancers may induce tension and fears among patients. Such fears are of the main destructive aspects of cancer that make it a physically and emotionally weakening disease
Patients and methods: In this study, we evaluated 111 patients with cancer who had been treated in the specialized cancer treatment center of Zahedan. They were asked to fill a questionnaire containing 44 questions about their fears and anxieties. We categorized the fears into social, individual, sexual, and disease related groups and these groups were analyzed according to the patients' characteristics
Results: 26.1% of the patients were men and 73.9% were women with the mean ages of 45.9 and 44.9 years respectively. The majority of patients [79.3%] were married. T test analysis revealed that women experienced more social [P= 0.001] and personal fears [P= 0.015] than men. Married patients had more sexual fears than other groups [P= 0.001]. One-way ANOVA for examining the effect of educational attainment, showed that the only variable with statistically significant difference among the means was the sexual fears [F [3, 108] =3.417, p=0.020]. The patients with higher education levels had lower scores in sexual fears than other groups, meanwhile such type of the fears were more in the group of middle school education
Conclusion: Cancer is accompanied by different types of fears that affect the patients' quality of life and satisfaction with treatment. It sees that detecting these fears and trying to resolve them, may help patients to have less stress during their life with cancer
ABSTRACT
Background: Osteoarthrosis is one of the most common joint disorders at the old age. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of action potential simulation with low-level LASER in reducing pain and improving function of these patients
Materials and methods: This double-blind, randomized, clinical trial was carried out in Zahedan in 2009. After taking written voluntary informed consent, 30 women with knee osteoarthrosis were randomly assigned to two equal groups through a lottery. In LASER group, a low-level Ga-As LASER was applied with a dosage of 9 J/cm2 for 6 minutes, and in Action Potential Simulation group, APS was applied with an intensity of 1 mA for 16 minutes. A 16-session treatment program was performed for both groups. Before and after intervention, we measured pain through Visual Analogue Scale, function with Knee and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS], and range of knee flexion with goniometer, physical function with WOMAC, muscle atrophy and swelling with tape measure. Paired and independent t-tests were used for data analysis
Results: Knee pain decreased from 7.75 +/- 1.58 to 5.37 +/- 1.5 in LASER group and from 7.5 +/- 1.19 to 6.75 +/- 1.38 in APS group and total score of WOMAC decreased from 42 +/- 6.54 to 39.12+/-6.53 in LASER group and from 43.37 +/- 11.21 to 39.62 +/- 8.86 in APS group [p<0.05]. Pain reduction was significant in LASER group compared to APS [p<0.05]
Conclusion: The results showed that low-level LASER therapy and APS could decrease pain and improve function of the knee. However, LASER is more effective than APS in decreasing pain
ABSTRACT
Substance abuse is a chronic phenomenon that affects mental and physical health and results in a lot of social, domestic and economic trauma. The samples included 80 addicts and 80 healthy individuals. The addicts were selected randomly from private and state remedy and rehabilitation centers of Zahedan city. Healthy individuals were matched with addicts in respect to age and sex and also selected randomly. Then, participants were assessed with The Spiritual Intelligence Self Report Inventory-24[SISI] and General Health Questionnaire [GHQ]. The data was analyzed with Pearson correlation coefficient and t test for independent groups. There were significant differences in SISI scores and GHQ scores. Addicts scored lower in two scales. There was a significant positive correlation between SISI scores and GHQ scores and subscales of GHQ [P< 0.01] in two groups. Substance abuse affects mental and physical health. Individuals with lesser spiritual intelligence levels are more prone to addiction and may be with higher levels of spiritual intelligence, we can prevent individuals from addiction
Subject(s)
Humans , Mental Health , Drug Users , Substance-Related Disorders , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
Methadone maintenance therapy is a well-known approach to the treatment of drug use disorders and harm reduction. But the main challenge is retention rate in MMT. Through simple random sampling, 155 addicts aged between 18-60 years who referred to drug addiction center of university and underwent MMT were followed for at least one year and up to two and half years. Of the total, 3.9% female, 62% married, 37.4% workers and 27.1% were jobless. 80% had education level of less than diploma, 43.2% abused marijuana, 54.2% abused alcohol and 49.7% were living in rented houses. 60% referred to this center because of economical problems, 15.5% because of legal issues and 67.7% because of family pressure. 31.6% were opium and opium resin addicts, 60% were heroin addicts, 8.4% were crack addicts and 21.9% were IV abusers. 76.8% had at least one high risk behavior. Average dose of methadone was 86.5+35 mg/day. Mean survival time was 80 weeks. Relapse rate was 3.3% in the first month, 13.9% in three months, 23.2% in six months, 31.7% in first year and 41.7% was a total relapse rate. Survival rate had a direct significant statistical relationship with the age, type of drug and method of use. According to the results of the present study that indicate a survival rate of 68.2% in a year and 58.3% after a year and also considering the results of other studies, we can conclude that MMP could be an effective method in the treatment of opiate drug disorders