Use of psychosocial concerns questionnaire in a sample of patients in different stages of liver disease

The aim of this work was to study psychosocial concerns in patients at different stages with liver disease using a simple questionnaire. Sixty-four [28 males and 35 females with mean age 51.8 SD +/- 8.8 years; only 12 [18.8%] were educated and all were married] liver disease patients were subjected to the Frankfurter Befindlichkeitsskala questionnaire [FBS] which was used to elicit their psychosocial concerns. 47 patients with complete investigation were classified according to child' s score of liver disease staging; among these patients, 15 were qualitatively assessed. The results revealed Child's score was estimated in 47 patients who had full data; of these 10 [21.2%] were in group A, 20 [42.6%] in group B and 17 [36.2%] in group C. As regards FBS, the most common psychosocial concern was feeling slow, followed by feeling tense and the least common complaints were feeling that drugs cause more harm than the illness and not confident to interact. Some psychosocial concerns were significantly associated with illiteracy, having non-governmental jobs, being a female and having children more than 15 years old. As regards Child's score, there was no significant association except for dreams that worry. Individual interview showed a more in depth exploration of these concerns. The results concluded that the nature and number of concerns are useful markers for psychosocial interventions in patients with chronic diseases such as liver diseases. Qualitative assessment is useful and meaningful tool to be incorporated in such studies. Multidisciplinary approach is needed for patient proper management in order to have a favorable impact on patients quality of life

Identification of female characteristics which need counselling services: a community based study in an upper Egyptian rural village

This study aimed to identify factors leading to female mental health problems and to oppression in order to provide counseling services. This is a community based study where 373 females from upper rural Egyptian village were subjected to a specially designed questionnaire to detect some factors related to oppression and were also subjected to the Zung test to assess female mental status. Some of these factors included individual and family factors such as gender role and marital conflict, in addition to macro-level factors such as economic burdens. 60.9% of the cases were oppressed due to battering, an act which was not justified by 65% of women. Severe physical consequences appeared in 11.5% of cases ranging from black eyes to abortion and disability. Gender discrimination acts together with female frustration and oppression prevailed. No single factor explains why female are oppressed as it is the result of the complex interplay of individual, relationship, social, cultural and environmental factors. The study concluded that understanding factors leading to female oppression is one of the important steps to provide counseling services and to empower female which enables her to select healthier choices in life