pilot study evaluating the stigma and public perception about the causes of depression and schizophrenia

To evaluate public perceptions towards the causes of depression and schizophrenia and identifications of factors resulting stigma towards mental ill. A cross-sectional study was conducted among the inhabitants of Pulau-Pinang, Malaysia in March, 2009. A 24-item questionnaire was used to obtain respondent views. A non-probability [i.e convenient sampling method] was used to approach the potential respondents. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 13 [registerd], non-parametric statistics [Chi-square] was applied to determine the association. Alpha value less than 0.05 were considered significant. One hundred respondents showed their willingness to participate in the study; overall response of the study was 40.0%. Majority 69% of the respondents were Malays, followed by Chinese and Indians. Public recognition toward depression was higher than schizophrenia. Lack of social support [X[2]= 4.832, P= 0.049], chemical imbalance in Brian [X[2]=6.132, P= 0.013*] and believes in supernatural factors [X[2]= 6.700, P= 0.050] were the commonly shared reasons for the mental disorders. Evaluation in terms of stigma revealed that majority 61 [55.0%]. Individuals with mental disorders were not friendly [X[2]= 1.008, P= 0.050]. Furthermore, one third of the population believe that they are moody, dangerous and unpredictable, it is better to avoid them. Overall findings revealed that Malaysians believe in supernatural reasons for the prevalence of mental disorders. Similarly the level of stigma towards mentally ill was higher among the respondents

Contraceptive attitude and behaviour among university men: a study from Punjab, Pakistan

The men's attitudes towards family planning and on the use of family planning method may affect not only their wives intention to use contraception but also the choice of a particular family planning method. This focus of this study is to assess the educated men's role, belief, practice and their participation in family planning. A cross-sectional data on 150 university male employees was taken. The logistic regression in connection with stepwise procedures is used to find the most significant variables that influence the men's current use of contraception status. About 42 percent of the married male employees were users of family planning methods. Among family planning methods, condom was the most used method [about 71%] followed by traditional methods [14%]. The mean age at first marriage of the respondents was 23 years and for the spouses it was 19 years. The knowledge of men in family planning methods is quite universal and general; but the attitude on the use of contraceptives and the family planning method is much different between the employees who had the awareness of contraception and those who had no awareness

Job satisfaction among doctors working at teaching hospital of Bahawalpur, Pakistan

Doctor's profession has long been among one of the most attractive professions in Pakistani society, but doctors are increasingly getting dissatisfied with their jobs. The focus of this study is to point out the most prominent factors of job dissatisfaction among doctors working at Bahawal-Victoria Hospital/Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur. A questionnaire was mailed to a random sample of 60 out of 244 doctors working at Bahawal-Victoria Hospital/Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur. Questions included satisfaction with respect to designation, income, service structure, career prospects etc. Overall 56% doctors were not satisfied with the level of their income. It is found that 92% of all the doctors were neither satisfied with the present service structure nor with the career prospects in Pakistan. Further, 78% of the doctors would like to serve abroad. Main factors contributing towards job satisfaction were designation and working environment whereas service structure turned out to be the source of dissatisfaction. Most of the doctors in all ranks and with different qualifications were not found satisfied with their job due to lack of proper service structure and low salaries

study on trichomonas vaginalis and comparison between the efficacy of metronidazole and secnizole on women in Kirkuk province

The present study was planned to show the prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis among reproductive age group women attended the private clinics complaining of gynecological and urinary symptoms and to compare the efficacy of metronidazole and secnizole in eradicating Trichomonas vaginalis in women. A study was carried out on 210 women [47 pregnant and 163 non pregnant] attended private clinics in Kirkuk, Iraq, for the period from 1[st] of February to 1[st] of July 2004. Each patient examined clinically, vaginal swabs and urine samples were examined microscopically to detect Trichomonas vaginalis. The Trichomonas vaginalis positive cases and their husbands were divided into two groups, one group was treated with metronidazole and the second group with secnizole. It was found that the prevalence of Trichomonas vaginalis was [29.05%], the infection rate in pregnant women was [42.55%]. The highest rate of infection was among pregnant women in third trimester of pregnancy [58.33%]. The infection rate in non pregnant women was [25.15%]. The commonest clinical symptoms among positive cases was vaginal discharge followed by itching, dysuria and dyspareunia. It was found that the efficacy of secnizole was greater than metronidazole in eradicating Trichomonas vaginalis infection and the rate of resistant cases treated with metronidazole 7[30.8%] was higher than those treated with secnizole 3[10.3%]

Depression amongst epileptic patients

To evaluate the proportion of depression amongst epileptic patients. Cross-sectional study. The study was carried out in CMH Pano Aqil September 2003 to September 2004. One hundred consecutive cases of primary epilepsy from the outpatient department were included in the study sample. Patients with severe physical or mental disability were excluded from the study. Standardized translated Urdu version of Beck Depression Inventory was used to evaluate depression. ICD-10 criteria for depression was used for such patients. Statistical significance was calculated by using SPSS computer software programme. Out of 100 epileptics, 36 patients were found to be depressed. There is very significant depressive morbidity in epileptic patients and is under diagnosed and hence under treated. There is need to address this aspect very seriously

Bilateral pure gonadoblastoma in a 46 XY individual--a case report

We report here a rare case of bilateral pure gonadoblastoma which accounts for only 0.2% of all ovarian tumours seen at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia from 1980 to 1987. This tumour occurred in an 18 year old Chinese "female" who presented with primary amenorrhoea. Examination showed a phenotypic female with poorly developed external gentalia. Exploratory laparotomy revealed a hypoplastic uterus, rudimentary fallopian tubes and streak gonads. Histological examination of the gonads showed a mixed tumour comprising large germ cells and smaller sex cord derivatives arranged in characteristic nests or islands containing hyaline material.