Evaluation of an educational training programme for the development of trainers in child mental health in Alexandria

A six-day workshop was conducted to develop trainers in mental health by providing physicians participating in the programme with the necessary educational knowledge and skills. A significant improvement was observed in the participants' knowledge and skills after the workshop. A significant correlation was found between the increase in knowledge and that of performance. The increase was affected neither by the years of work experience nor by the postgraduate degree held. This observed benefit and the satisfaction expressed by participants encourage the replication of such a programme in order to develop qualified health personnel capable of expanding mental health services for children

Psychological profile and job satisfaction of health workers in some stressful situations

The aim of this study was to portray the psychological profile of health workers exposed to continuous stress and to assess their job satisfaction. Seventy healthy professionals in radiotherapy and critical medicine departments were included. All professionals were subjected to a questionnaire on work related attitudes and beliefs, irritability, depression, anxiety [IDA] scale and job descriptive index [JDI] with its 5 facets. Desire to change job, adverse effect on family life or behavior were significantly more among professionals in critical medicine than radiotherapy department. High scores on irritability subscale were significantly more among professionals in critical medicine. There was a significant direct correlation between duration of employment and JDI scores regarding promotion. Moreover, significant reverse correlations were found between duration of employment and depression as well as irritability scores on IDA scale

Impact of mental health knowledge and attitudes of trainees on their school contacts

School personnel are valuable community resources in child mental health programmes. Realizing that continuous evaluation of the school mental health training programme in Alexandria is highly recommended, it was decided to study the impact of knowledge and attitudes of trainees on the untrained colleagues through comparing school communities having few trained personnel [intervention group] with school communities having none [control group]. A total of 206 teachers and social workers representing both groups participated in this study. Their knowledge and attitudes were assessed using designed child mental health related knowledge and attitude scales. Findings of the present work lend further support to earlier indications of improvement in trainees knowledge. Furthermore, they suggested that trained staff hold promise for accessing their non-trained colleagues and improving their knowledge. However, data failed to prove any effects on staff attitudes

Evaluation of a mental health training programme for maternal and child health physicians in Alexandria: effect of the training programme on knowledge and skills concerning basic mental health care

The work reported in this paper describes the mental health training program for maternal and child health [MCH] physicians conducted in Alexandria during 1992-1993, and jointly sponsored by Alexandria Faculty of Medicine and the Ministry of Health. After preliminary assessment of existing mental health services provided by [MCH] centers, a series of mental health training courses of one week duration was organized for [MCH] physicians. The aim of the training was to acquire knowledge and skills for recognition and management of common mental health problems at [MCH] centers, with special emphasis on the principles of prevention of mental disorders, and promotion of mental and social wellbeing. A total of 85 physicians received training through such courses. Different teaching methods were used. A pre-and post-test of knowledge indicated a significant increase in the knowledge of trainees concerning basic mental health care. A follow-up after six months revealed that the training had only a limited function in upgrading trainees' skills in carrying out comprehensive mental health care tasks as part of their regular work. Areas of deficiency in the training courses and needed modifications were identified

Evaluation of the training programmes for professional working with school children in Alexandria

A mental health training programe for personnels dealing with school children was conducted on 96 professionals: school health physicians [n=58], teachers and social workers [n=38]. A pre and post test was the tool of assessment. To fulfill the aim of this work. A questionnaire covering all the topics discussed during the training was applied. The results revealed that for the physicians, the majority had poor knowledges as regards: drug abusing, emotional and behavioural problems among school children at the pre test which improved remarkably at the post test. Concerning the teachers and social workers, although they had a good knowledge about the different psychological problems but their knowledge about the managements was very poor

Relation of family coherence on adolescent emotional and behavioral state

A multistage stratified random sample technique was used in this study to select 400 pupils at preparatory schools exposed to major psychological stresses [parental death, divorce or separation and living with a step parent]. An equal number was selected to be as a control group [non-exposed] matched by social class and sex. Teacher's rating scale was used as an assessment tool. Children's emotion and behaviour were classified into three main groups [a aggression, depression and immaturity]. Girls exposed to major life events tended to be more depressed and immature than non-exposed group. Boys tended to be more aggressive in behaviour than those who did not experience this psychosocial stressor

Clinical assessment of high scorers on a depressive inventory among school children in Alexandria

Out of 1561 pupils at preparatory school in Alexandria in the year 1988-1989, the highest scorers on the childhood depressive inventory [CDI] [score above 30] were selected to make a clinical assessment for the children and their parents to study the significant psychosocial factors associated with the clinical diagnosis. Out of the 60 pupils who scored highest on the inventory only 20 children followed the study. Half of them [10 out of 20] had a clinical diagnosis of depression episode with varying degree of severity while the remaining had mixed anxiety and depression or conduct disorders. The additional variables studied were, addition to the main diagnosis

Some psychological profile in idiopathic epilepsy

Seventy-five idiopathic epileptic patients chosen randomly from Alexandria University Hospital matched with an equal number of non-epileptics as a control group. Some psychological tests were used to assess the psychological profile of those patients, where anxiety and depression scales and psycho-motor performance were conducted. Epileptic cases were significantly higher than their control on the different psychological scales. Epileptics with low score on anxiety scale rated to have friends more than those having higher score. Epileptic cases without aura show better scores on different psychological tests than those having aura. Cases having history of epilepsy for less than five years rated to have no anxiety and mild degree of depressing and psychomotor performance were less than those having longer history of epilepsy

Impact of some socio-economic factors and common infectious diseases on growth of children below five years of age

This research was carried out on one quarter [n=554] of children who were celebrating their first to fifth birth day during July September 1987 and were born and living in El Ibrahimia, mina El Bassal and Karmouz districts in Alexandria. The aim of this work was to study the effet of some socio-economic factors as well as diarrhea and bronchitis on the height and weight of the selected children. It was revealed that there was a positive association between level of parents education and monthly income percapita whereas a negative asso was observed between crowding index and a positive his of diarrhea or bronchitis and achievement on height and weight scales

Mother's opinions of when to attend health centres for antenatal care

A case control study was carried out in 3 health centres in Dammam City during the period from may to august 1989. a number of 500 women matched age groups of late and early attenders for antenatal care was interviewed

Epidemiological study for some behavioural problems among pre-school children in Alexandria

A behavioural check list questionnaire was chosen to assess the behavioural problems among pre-school children in Alexandria [n=179]. Boys had more problems regarding temper tantrum and difficulties in their relations with siblings than girls. [22.22% and 5.05% among boys compared to 16.25% and 1.25% among girls], but the differences were insignificant. Concerning bed wetting at night, boys had greater difficulties than girls and the difference was statistically significant [F = 2.162]. As regards the age; seven out of 19 behaviour problems were significantly different between the three age groups, which shows that some behavioural problems improved with age; these are mainly concerned with development [as bed wetting]. The other behavioural problems were still persistant at older age groups [as poor appetite, over activity, lack of concentration, attention seeking, temper, worrines and fear]

Behavioural screening for preschool children in Alexandria

A cross sectional study was done for a sample of pre-school children where [179] children were selected in a cluster technique from the six districts of Alex. The standardized Arabic version of [B.C.L.] was completed by the parent. The reliability of the Arabic version was highly correlated with the English one where r=0.988. Using the stem and Leaf plot, those below [10] were considered normal [76.65%] and those having score more than [20] were considered extremely disturbed [0.01%] and mild behavioral disturbance were among [23.34%]. The measurements of agreement on individual behavior items between [B.S.Q.] and [B.C.L.] were highly significant for all items except for soiling, sleeping with parents and concentration. Children having abnormal behavior 50% of them had temper tantrum, followed by sleeping problem [38.10%] and over activity [30.95%]

State of stress and type of personality among working and non working healthy women in Alexandria

This study was carried out at the Edfina Food Factory; where 50 female. workers were selected randomly out of the 500 females employed by the company. A control group 50 non working women [house wives] were chosen; a neighbour house hold, to be matched for the socio-economic status and some environmental condition. The aim of this work is to examine the effect of employment on the health of women by inducing stress experimentally and study the relationship between type of personality and stress. The study reveals the following: - The mean age of the working women was significantly less than the house hold. - The percentage of illiterate women among the working group were higher than the house hold group and the differences were statistically significant. - The mean score value of the star test for the working women was significantly higher than the house hold. - The working women had a more integrated personality than the house hold where they were more neurotic or extrovert. - Increased duration of work in the working women was associated with increased score on the star test. - In the working group, the mean value of the pulse rate during the star test was significantly higher than before the test in comparison to the house hold where no significant changes were found. - In the working group there was significant rise of the systolic and diastolic blood pressure during the test compared with that before. While for the house hold no significant difference was observed

Psychiatric admissions to a general hospital II an epidemiological study

During 1982, 1.1/1000 of the health insured population in Alexandria were hospitalized for mental disorders. The rate of hospitalization was significantly higher for males. Schizophrenia was the main diagnosis accounting for 34.3% of cases; collectively psychoses accounted for 50.6% of cases and neurotic disorders for 21.3%. The mean age was highest for cases of organic psychosis [43.7 years] followed by affective psychosis [32.0 years] and epilepsy [32.6 years]. A positive family history for mental disturbances was greatest among psychotics [18.8%] and least among neurotics [7.8%]. Concerning stresses which may be a precipitating cause for psychiatric disturbances, those having personality disorders and addicts complained of work troubles [47.1%] and financial troubles [15.7%] more than other patients, while neurotics complained of family troubles [37.5%] more than others. Drug and alcohol dependence was greatest among those having personality disorders

Psychiatric admissions to a general hospital

The present study examined the reasons for admission of psychiatric cases to the neuropsychiatry unit at Gamal Abdel-Naser Hospital in 1982, with the aim of identifying a group of admissions which may be managed as effectively but more efficiently on an ambulatory basis. Results indicated that 2 main reasons accounted for the majority of admissions: admissions to establish a diagnosis [except for fits] and admissions to control excited and /or dangerous cases. The former group was regarded as admissions that may be managed on an ambulatory basis. Such admissions accounted for 279 of the 711 psychiatric admissions [39.2%] and consumed 2473 of the 7323 days [33.7%] provided for psychiatric cases, with an average stay of 8.9 days per admission. The majority of cases admitted to establish a diagnosis [except for fits] [86.4%] were referred to the hospital by psychiatrists in the clinics of the Health Insurance Organization