Psychological predictors of depression in diabetes

Objective: To study the association between psychological predictors of depression i.e. social support and quality of life in diabetic patients

Study design, settings and duration: Cross-sectional study conducted in clinics of different hospitals of Gujranwala, Abbottabad and Islamabad from January 2013 to January 2014

Patients and Methods: Fifty nine adult type II diabetic patients of both genders who came to hospital's diabetic clinic for diabetic treatment were selected for the study. The data was collected using multidimensional scale of perceived social support WHO quality of life scale and depression scale, All these scales had already been validated in the local population. Data was analyzed using SPSS Version 20

Results: Social support and quality of life were negatively related to depression. Within gender, it was found that male were significantly higher on social support, quality of life, friends support, physical quality of life and social quality of life as compared to female

Conclusion: If diabetic patient's social support and quality of life is improved, their levels of depression decrease. Depression associated with diabetes was more common in females

Policy message: Diabetes patients need better social support and better quality of life to cope up with diabetes related depression

Behavioral problems and emotion regulation in blind and normal children

Background: Behavioral problems and issues related to emotion regulations differ in blind and normal children. There is negative association between behavioral problems and emotion regulation among blind children

Objective: To compare the behavioral problems and emotional regulation in blind and normal children and see their relationship and also study demographic differences in behavioral problems and emotional regulation

Study type, settings and duration: Cross-sectional study done at Special Education Centers and government Schools of Lahore and Gujranwala from January 2013 to January 2014

Subjects and Methods: Blind and normal children of both genders were selected from the Special Education Centers of Lahore and Gujranwala while normal children were selected from government Schools of Lahore and Gujranwala. The association between behavioral problems and emotional regulations was assessed in these two sets of children using translated and validated questionnaires of Child Problem Checklist and Self-Regulation Scale. For blind students these were converted into Braille. The data was analyzed by using SPSS Version 20

Results: There were 50 blind and 50 normal children. Results showed that normal children had higher emotion regulations whereas blind children had higher behavioral problems and overall behavioral problems had negative relationship with emotion regulation. Demography showed that males had higher behavioral problems where as females had higher emotional regulations. Children having highly educated parents had higher emotion regulations and lesser behavioral problems

Conclusion: Blind children had more behavioral problems and less emotion regulations and within gender, it was more in males

Policy message: Blind children need more care and social support as they have more behavioral problems and less emotion regulation

Well-being and post-traumatic stress disorder due to natural and man-made disasters on adults

Research has shown that man-made disasters effect people more severely than natural disasters. Females are affected more severely as compared to males in disasters. The most prominent effects are low well-being and high post traumatic stress disorder [PTSD]. To compare the differences in well-being and PTSD among adults exposed to natural and man-made disasters. This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 150 young adults exposed to flood in Punjab [50], terrorism in KPK [50] and suicide bombing [terrorism] in Islamabad [50]. Adults exposed to natural disaster like flood scored significantly higher on well-being as compared to adults exposed to man-made disaster like terrorism and suicide bombing. Post-traumatic stress disorder was more in terrorism exposed adults as compared to flood exposed adults. Within gender, females adapted better to man-made disasters. Adults exposed to natural disaster adapt better than those exposed to man-made disaster and females adapt to man-made disasters better than men