Learning styles, academic achievement, and mental health problems among medical students in Thailand / 보건의료교육평가

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of various learning styles among medical students and their correlations with academic achievement and mental health problems in these students. METHODS: This study was conducted among 140 first-year medical students of Chiang Mai University, Thailand in 2014. The participants completed the visual-aural-read/write-kinesthetic (VARK) questionnaire, the results of which can be categorized into 4 modes, corresponding to how many of the 4 types are preferred by a respondent. The 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) and the 21-item Outcome Inventory (OI-21) were also used. The participants' demographic data, grade point average (GPA), and scores of all measurements are presented using simple statistics. Correlation and regression analysis were employed to analyze differences in the scores and to determine the associations among them. RESULTS: Sixty percent of the participants were female. The mean age was 18.86±0.74 years old. Quadmodal was found to be the most preferred VARK mode (43.6%). Unimodal, bimodal, and trimodal modes were preferred by 35%, 12.9%, and 18.6% of the participants, respectively. Among the strong unimodal learners, visual, aural, read/write, and kinesthetic preferences were reported by 4.3%, 7.1%, 11.4%, and 12.1% of participants, respectively. No difference was observed in the PSS-10, OI-anxiety, OI-depression, and OI-somatization scores according to the VARK modes, although a significant effect was found for OI-interpersonal (F=2.788, P=0.043). Moreover, neither VARK modes nor VARK types were correlated with GPA. CONCLUSION: The most preferred VARK learning style among medical students was quadmodal. Learning styles were not associated with GPA or mental health problems, except for interpersonal problems.

Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia: Study of Residents in a Northern Thai Long-Term Care Home

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyse the validity of the Thai version of the Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia (CSDD) when using DSM-IV criteria. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out of 84 elderly residents in a residential care home setting in Thailand. The participants went through a comprehensive geriatric assessment which included a Mini-Mental State Examination, a Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and use of the CSDD tool. A ROC analysis was performed in order to test the validity of the CSDD as against the DSM-IV when used by the MINI. RESULTS: ROC analysis revealed a better score for those areas found under the curve for the CSDD-as against the DSM-IV criteria (0.96). With a cut-off score of >6, the CSDD yielded the highest sensitivity score (100%), plus produced a specificity of 81% and a negative predictive value of 100%. It also had a positive predictive value of 69%. The validity of the CSDD was found to be better for the group experiencing cognitive impairment than with the non-cognitive impairment group in terms of the agreement of CSDD items between patients and caregivers. The CSDD yielded a high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha=0.87). CONCLUSION: CSDD is a valid tool to use for identifying depressive disorders among Thai LTC home residents - those experiencing and those not experiencing cognitive impairment.

Interpersonal problems among psychiatric outpatients and non-clinical samples

<p><b>INTRODUCTION</b>The aims of this study were two-fold; to investigate the validity and reliability of the Thai version of the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP) and to compare the characteristics of the interpersonal problems experienced in a non-clinical sample and psychiatric outpatients.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 689 subjects (452 non-clinical sample and 237 psychiatric outpatients) completed the IIP-32 and IIP-64, Symptom checklist-90 (SCL-90) and 16 Personality Factor (16 PF) Questionnaire, after which a four-week retest was carried out. Cronbach's alpha was used for internal consistency and the intra-class correlation coefficient was used to determine test-retest reliability. Factor analysis of the IIP sub-scales and Pearson's correlation were used for construct and concurrent validity.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both versions of the IIP showed good internal consistency. Factor analysis revealed two factors that corresponded to the circumplex property. The expected correlation between the SCL-90 and 16 PF subscales reflected the level of concurrent validity. There was a significant difference in the cold, socially-inhibited and self-sacrificing subscales between the non-clinical and clinical samples, while major depressive disorder was found to have a significantly higher score in the subscales of the control dimension, i.e. the non-assertive, socially inhibited and self-sacrificing subscales, than the neurotic and non-clinical groups, whereas, the neurotic group differed from the normative sample in terms of the affiliation axis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The IIP-64 and IIP-32 demonstrated their reliability and are suitable for use in either clinical or non-clinical setting.</p>

MEDICAL STUDENTS AND THE ACCEPTANCE BY PSYCHIATRIC PATIENTS

Introduction   Psychiatric interviewing skills with real psychiatric patients are important for medical students. There are many factors regarding the patient acceptance being interviewed by students. Objective To investigate the acceptance of fifth-year medical students by psychiatric patients with variety of diagnoses who came for mental health care service at a university hospital in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Method A cross-sectional 3-month survey was conducted with regard to the patient attitude, satisfaction and acceptance of being interviewed by medical students. Information associated with language used and general appearance such as appearance, were explored. Results Among 197 participants, satisfaction with the interview by medical students was 72.0%. Willingness to accept further interviews was 78.2%. Having an opportunity to contribute themselves for medical education was the main reason that the patients allowed the students to interview (76.6%). Conclusion The acceptance for interview by fifth-year medical students was high. Culture had influences on language used and general appearance of medical students. Chiang Mai Med Bull2005;44(4):147-153.