Risk factors towards self-destructive behaviour among fresh students at Makerere University

It has been suggested that some individuals are suicide prone; and that such individuals can be detected long before they commit suicide. This paper reports the risk factors associated with potential self-destructive behaviour among a group of freshwomen at Makerere University. A suicide proneness questionnaire; the Umzimkulu suicide Proneness Inventory (USPI); was completed by 619 students admitted to the University in the academic year 1992/93. The results indicate that students' propensity to self-destructive behaviour was significantly related to the history of suicide behaviour among the students; or their relatives; and the presence of a probable depressive disorder as indicated by scores above at least 60 on each of SR; AL; AS; and PDW; scales on the questionnaire. The paper describes in detail the development of the USPI; and the theory underlying the study. Implications for improving counselling services for students at Makerere University are highlighted

Prediction of self-destructive behavior among Makerere University students

Student suicides at Makerere University have occured sporadically and no systematic programme of suicide prevention has been developed. In addition; no clear guidelines have been worked out to guide the operations of the University counselling centre. A study on the predictability of suicide behaviour among students was conducted from October 1992 to June 1995. Study objectives included the identification of possible characteristics of suicidal students; the determination of the proportion of students who will seek counselling services at the University hospital in the course of their studies; and the identification of characteristics of counsellees. Study participants were the entire group of the 1992/93 academic year intake. Six hundred and nineteen students consented to complete a self-adminsitered questionnaire; especially designed to identify suicidal and or depressed persons. The students were then followed up for three years during which data on student attendance at the counselling centre were collected. The results were analysed using the EPIINFO computer software. The results indicated that some students (at least 5.5) who enrolled at Makerere University annually will probably require counselling services early at the time of their enrollment at the University. The following recommendations are made to improve counselling services for students: all students should be inducted at the time of their entry the University; counselling services should be made attractive to students; students should be involved in providing counselling services; particularly at emergency level; a prompt and attractive referral system for students requiring psychiatric care should be established; a telephone hot-line to be managed by the students should be established and; further research is needed to improve counselling services for students at Makerere University

Social anthropological aspects of onchocercal skin disease in Nebbi District; Uganda

"In providing health care; the busy medical practitioner often lacks the ""I-You"" quality of the personal experience of illness. This paper reports the perceptions; beliefs and practices of persons living in a hyperendemic focus of onchocerciasis in nebbi District; north-western Uganda. The study involved the use of focus group discussion and semi-structured interviewes designed to explore the experiences; meanings; and illness-related coping strategies employed by the community. The results indicated that oncherciasis believed that the cause of the disease is the small black fly (Kamacur); dirty water or rivers. However; non-affected individuals believed that the condition is caused by poor personal and environmental hydiene; and personal contact with persons affected by onchocerciasis. Affected people recommended public health education to control the diases while non-affected people; recommended the avoidance of personal contact with affected people; ensuring personal hygiene; and the improvement of environmental sanitation and the nutritional status of community. The belief systems of the community are probably responsible for the discriminatory practices of the people against those affected by the condition. The results indicate that onchocerciasis is a serious public health problem which needs to be controlled."

Dermatological problems of onchocerciasis in Nebbi District; Uganda

A cross-sectional survey of 770 subjects in onchocerciasis hyperendemic villages and 223 subjects from a control community in Nebbi District in the West Nile Region of Uganda revealed a high prevalence of onchocercial skin disease of 48in endemic villages. The most chronic skin problem was troublesome itching (40); and the prevalent skin lesions were chronic popular onchodermatitis (16); depigmentation (4); lichenifield onchodermatitis (2) and acute popular onchodermatitis (1). Other typical varieties of onchocercal skin diseases such as; hanging groin; lymphoedema and marked lymphadenopathy were infrequent; and considered rare. Pityriasis vergicolor was the most common non-onchocercal skin lesion in both control and endemic communities; accounting for 37of all non-onchocercal skin lesions. These skin lesions were associated with a variety of psycho-social and economic impact; and there was a positive correlation between the prevalence of troublesome itching and the prevalence of modules (correlation coefficient r=0.62; p=0.00). Given the prospects of onchorcerciasis control based on mass ivermectin distribution in communities where blindness is less common; but skin disease known to be predominant