Psychological distress among younger siblings of patients with homozygous sickle cell disease in the Jamaican cohort study

The presence of a chronically ill family member may adversely affect the psychological health of siblings. This study used the General Health Questionnaire and the Modified Social Adjustment Scale to assess psychological distress in 20 younger siblings (4 AA, 16 AS genotypes), aged 16-19 years, of patients with homozygous sickle cell (SS) disease. The results were compared with those previously obtained in the 20 older siblings with SS disease and in 89 controls with a normal haemoglobin (AA) genotype. High levels of psychological distress occurred among all three groups. Greater psychological distress and poorer social adjustment occurred among siblings compared to AA controls but these differences disappeared after adjusting for the reduced age of sibings. The two measures were similar in SS patients and AA controls. The level of psychological distress among siblings of SS patients did not differ from that in SS patients or AA controls.

An assessment of stress among clinical medical students of the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus

This study looks at sources of stress amomg the medical students of the University of the West Indies at the Mona campus. Students of the classes 1993 through 1995 were asked to fill out a questionnaire which had been developed for a similar study at the University of Texas in 1983. The return rate was 66 percent. The results were compared for differences between males and females and between the different year groups. The two most stressful items were rated the same by men and women, i.e. 1) the amount of material to be learned, and 2) examinations and/or grades. There was no statistically significant difference between stress levels by gender in this study. The penultimate clinical year was most stressful. It is hoped that the findings of this study will be the basis for discussion about whether the identified stressors are inherent and necessary to the medical training experience and, if so, how students can be better prepared to cope with them.

The perinatal morbidity and mortality survey of Jamaica 1986-1987

The Jamaican Perinatal Morbidity and Mortality Survey was conducted between September 1986 and August 1987. A total of 10310 consecutive birth were identified and mothers interviewed in the first 2 months (main cohort study), 1405 neonatal admissions were evaluated over a 6-month period (morbidity study), and 1855 perinatal deaths and 73 late neonatal deaths identified over 12 months (mortality study - 55 por ciento of the deaths were given postmortem examinations. The perinatal mortality rate for the cohort study was 38.1 por ciento per 1000 births. This was 36.6 percent higher than the 1982 estimate of 27.9/1000 based on deliveries at the Victoria Jubilee Hospital, a specialist maternity institution which has at least 13 000 deliveries per annum

A cluster of central nervous system defects in Jamaica

Information was collected on all stillbirths and neonatal deaths on the island of Jamaica during the 12 month period September 1986 to August 1987. There were 33 such deaths with anencephaly, spina bifida and hydrocephalus out of an estimated population of 54,400 total births. There was a statistically significant cluster in respect to time of conception in one small rural area of the island. There were no obvious differences between parents involved in the cluster and the rest of the population, but particular Jamaican fruit and vegetables have been shown to be teratogenic in animals. It is postulated that the cluster may have been associated with an unripe crop.