Workplace bullying among employees of a public higher education institution

Background@#Workplace bullying is defined as frequent, ongoing, and detrimental incidence of unreasonable acts/behaviors directed towards an individual. The consequences of bullying to individuals often lead to absenteeism, resignation, job dissatisfaction, and suicidal ideation making it a major public health concern. This organizational issue, when not addressed, will greatly affect the workflow in any organization. There is a paucity of literature on this problem in the Southeast Asian countries @*Objective@#This study aimed to describe the extent of workplace bullying among employees of a public higher education institution. @*Methodology@#The researchers used a descriptive, cross-sectional study design. Survey questionnaires in Google Form were emailed to all employees with a 35.96% participation rate. The survey instrument asked participants to indicate their awareness about any bullying behavior in their unit and to specify the typical profile of bullies and victims they know of. Responses to quantitative variables were summarized using the mean and standard deviation, while qualitative variables were reported as frequency and percentage distribution. The software used for analysis were Microsoft Excel and EpiInfo 7. @*Results@#At least one-third (36.94%) of survey respondents indicated that they witnessed a form of bullying in the workplace with more awareness seen among faculty members and permanent employees. The most common type of bullying observed in the workplace was criticism in public. Notably, this type of bullying was similar across employee categories. The predominant reactions of victims of bullying include feeling of fear and loss of trust, and confiding to a friend or co-worker. @*Conclusion@#The phenomenon of bullying has been witnessed by the employees and reported to have adverse effects on victims. Informational campaigns coupled with anti-bullying policy and programs are necessary to promote employee well-being.

Recovery in schizophrenia: Perspectives from psychiatrists in the Philippines

BACKGROUND@#A reliable and socially validated definition of recovery in schizophrenia is essential to decrease stigma associated with the illness. This study aimed to define recovery in schizophrenia in the Philippine context, determine its specific elements, and describe methods of assessment in clinical practice.@*METHODS@#We invited a group of purposively selected Filipino psychiatrists to participate in six simultaneous roundtable discussions to gather their opinions and perspectives on recovery in schizophrenia. Transcripts of the discussions were then subjected to framework analysis.@*RESULTS AND CONCLUSION@#Most Filipino psychiatrists were of the considered opinion that recovery in schizophrenia is possible, and their vision of a recovered patient resembles a combination of psychological and medical models. The mini-FROGS tool was deemed generally applicable in the Philippine setting except for self-esteem and sense of independence primarily because it is difficult to evaluate. The SWN was received with mixed reactions among the psychiatrists. Spirituality as an element of recovery and the family-oriented culture of the Filipinos were emphasized as important considerations in assessing patients. Other suggestions were given to tailor-fit these tools to the Philippine context.

Intersectoral collaborations for the prevention and control of Vector Borne diseases: A scoping review

Objectives@#This scoping review aimed to support a landscape analysis to identify lessons learned about intersectoral collaborations (ISCs) by describing their existing models in the context of dengue, malaria and yellow fever.@*Methods@#A scoping review following the methodology of Joanna Briggs Institute was performed using the following inclusion criteria: studies involving humans; studies discussing intersectoral collaborations, malaria/dengue/yellow fever, and prevention or control at any level; and studies in countries endemic for the aforementioned diseases. Studies were screened using Covidence, while data were extracted using NVivo.@*Results@#Of the 7,535 records retrieved, 69 were included in the qualitative analysis. Most ISCs were initiated by multilateral organizations and ministries of health, and none by communities. Strategies included advocacy, health education, research, public health measures, resource mobilization, service delivery and training; mostly employed on a community level. Monitoring and evaluation were mostly formative, ongoing, and participatory. Gaps included administrative and policy barriers, resource shortages, and inadequate research and training.@*Conclusions@#Multiple models of ISC exist in the literature. There is a need to develop a comprehensive framework for an effective and sustainable multisectoral approach for the prevention and control of VBDs ensuring adequate resources, active stakeholders, and strategies that span the entire socio-ecological spectrum.