ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of anxiety and depression in women of the Northern areas. METHODS: A cross-sectional center-based study was conducted at Singal Medical Center [SMC], Gilgit, in the Northern Areas of Pakistan, using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]. One hundred and twenty women, between the ages of 16 and 60, attended the SMC over a two month period and were included in the study. Using HADS, it was found that 50% of the women had anxiety and/or depression; 25% suffered only from anxiety, 8% from depression and 17% had features of both. This study supports the previous studies of stress in remote areas and also contradicts the belief that people who live in the remote rural areas lead stress-free lives or have low rates of psychiatric morbidity [JPMA 50:138, 2000]
Subject(s)
Humans , Female , Depression , Mental Disorders/epidemiology , PrevalenceABSTRACT
The Diploma in Family Medicine [DFM] Examination is a new certification offered by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Pakistan, and its Department of Medical Education designed a scientific examination. First, the Expert Advisory Committee for Family Medicine was formed, relevant training objectives were determined, a training programme to achieve the objectives was designed and a valid syllabus was chosen. Then the examination was designed, where the candidates must pass the objective theory papers before taking the clinical examination. The clinical examination consisted of an Objective Structured Clinical Examination [OSCE] and traditional case presentations. The candidates had to pass each of the components, and attain an overall aggregate of 60%. In the first six examinations, 752 candidates sat for the theory examinations, 332 [44.14%] were eligible for the clinical examination, and 170 [23%] passed. If 60% marks obtained in case presentations is taken as the gold standard which is the current CPSP policy and compared to OSCE marks, then 75% marks in OSCE had a sensitivity of 67% and a specificity of 79%