Mental Health First Aid Training: A Study of Community Members’ Pre and Post-training Responses to a 17-Item Questionnaire

Background:Mental Health First Aid, an important component of metal health educational programs, targets naive community members, public, allied mental health personnel, and mental health experts with specific reference as to how these trained aiders should help people in crisis or with mental health conditions in the community.Objective:This study aimed to describe pre-to-post-test assessment of those who were trained in MHFA program.Setting: National Center for Mental Health Promotion, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Methods:Trained mental health professionals organized MHFA courses (n=35) for training self-selected, nonrandomized community members (n=862) who were assessed pre-to-post training by using an adapted 17-item questionnaire for measuring the impact of MHFA course on their mental health knowledge, perception, attitude and practice.Results: The participants’ responses to questionnaire were varied at pre-and post-test evaluation and 65% of them showed mild to significant positive changes in their responses, and the rest were not affected positively after this course, possibly attributed to multiple factors related tonaïve community trainees, advanced questionnaire, short timeline and dissimilar instructors.Conclusion: Although all participants well received the MHFA courses, 65% of participants’ pre-to-post-test responses improved positively. The preliminary results of this studyarenot generalizable to the whole community,need to be cautiously interpreted and this research is calling for more studies especially randomized controlledtrials in future.

Assessing the Attitudes and Perceptions of Community Members and Health Workers Regarding Leprosy Stigma.

Aims: To examine the attitudes and the perceptions of community members and health workers towards leprosy, to study possible determinants of stigma and to provide baseline data for those who are interested in launching de-stigmatising interventions. Study Design: Cross-sectional survey using mixed methods Place and Duration of Study: Raj Pracha Samasai Institute and Chaiyaphum province, Thailand, March- August 2011. Methodology: The study was done using qualitative and quantitative methods in four districts. Interview guidelines, a predefined script and the Explanatory Model Interview Catalogue (EMIC) stigma scale were used as data collection tools. For qualitative data collection, community members were selected by maximum variation sampling based on sex, age and socio-economic status; health workers were selected by including those who were present at the sub-district health promotion hospital at the time of interviewing, and those who were responsible for leprosy and tuberculosis at the district hospital. Focus Group Discussions were conducted among health volunteers who were also community members and had people affected by leprosy in the areas in which they worked. For quantitative data collection, community members were selected by systematic sampling. Health workers were selected by convenience sampling. Content analysis was used for qualitative information. A t-test, a Chi square and multiple regressions were used for quantitative data. A p-value of <0.05 was considered indicative of a statistically significant difference or association. Results: An equal number of community members and health workers was enrolled (n=236). There was significant difference at the 5% level (p=0.007, Chi2 test) between the proportion of community members and of health workers who perceived stigma related to leprosy in the community (75.4% and 85.6%, respectively). A statistically significant association was found between age, education, number of family members and type of house, and those who perceived stigma. All 24 community members, four health volunteers and two health workers in the qualitative sample linked leprosy with disability, while none of the community members or health volunteers knew the cause of leprosy. All thought it to be incurable. Fifteen community members thought leprosy is hereditary. Seventeen community members and two health workers linked leprosy with dirtiness. One out of the two health workers linked leprosy with oozy and bad-smelling wounds. It was also found that people affected avoided social contact, attended health services as little as possible, and experienced negative interaction from others in the community, health workers included. Conclusion: In the perception of community members and health workers leprosy is a disabling disease that is incurable and hereditary, and is associated with dirtiness and oozy and badsmelling wounds. These negative perceptions may result in reduced quality of life for those affected and hamper their access to health care services. The authors propose that de-stigmatising interventions be prioritised, taking local beliefs, attitudes, and perceptions into consideration.

Regulación de la investigación clínica y comités de ética en Perú: crónica de cambios / Regulation of clinical investigation in Peru: chronicle of changes / Regulação da pesquisa clínica e comitês de ética no Perú: crônica de mudanças

Debido al avance progresivo de la investigación clínica, nuevas exigencias y requerimientos se hacen necesarios, tales como: apertura de comités de ética, creación o adaptación de legislaciones, mayor entrenamiento de investigadores, entre otros. El objetivo del presente artículo es hacer una crónica de lo sucedido con Reglamento Peruano de Ensayos Clínicos y analizar si la regulación peruana incluye una efectiva participación de la comunidad en los comités de ética.

Due to the progressive advance of clinical investigation, new demands and requirements are made necessary, such as: the formation of ethics committees, the creation or adaptation of legislation, and increased training for researchers, among others. The objective of this article is to report on what occurred with the Peruvian Regulation of Clinical Tests and to analyze if the Peruvian regulation includes an effective participation of the community in ethics committees.

Devido ao avanço progressivo da pesquisa clínica, novas exigências e requerimentos se fazem necessários, tais como: criação de comitês de ética, criação ou adaptação de legislações, maior treinamento de pesquisadores, entre outros. O objetivo do presente artigo é fazer uma crônica do sucedido com o Regulamento Peruano de Ensaios Clínicos e analisar se a regulação peruana inclui uma efetiva participação da comunidade nos comitês de ética.