Beliefs about illness of patients with schizophrenia

To elicit the beliefs and perception of patients with schizophrenia about their illness by using Short Explanatory Model Interview [SEMI]. This cross sectional study was conducted in the department of psychiatry, Lady Reading Hospital. One hundred and three patients of schizophrenia were included in the study. Short Explanatory Model Interview [SEMI] was used to assess the explanatory model of illness of the sample. Four major areas covered in SEMI were "Concept" i.e., naming the illness, "Cause", "Treatment Choice" i.e., help seeking behaviour, and "Severity" of the illness. Mean age of the sample was 30.52 +/- 9.41 years. Regarding Concept, 34[33%] patients who although couldn't name any but attributed their condition to mental illness. The major response to the cause for the development of schizophrenia was stress of social issues by 22[23.30%] patients. A total of 56[54.3%] patients reported a combination of medication and spiritual healer to be the help seeking/ treatment choice. Only 44 [42.7%] patients considered the illness to be very serious. Our study suggests that patients suffering from schizophrenia believe that they have some form of mental illness but mostly attribute it to stress and other social factors. They prefer visiting spiritual healers along with medication for seeking help regarding their illness

Effect of fasting on serum lithium levels: an experimental study in animal models

Muslims throughout the world observe dawn to dusk fast in the month of Holy Ramadan. This study aims to investigate the effect of fasting on serum lithium levels in an animal model under typical conditions of Ramadan. Animals were categorized into oral and intraperitoneal groups. Each group was divided into fasting and non fasting groups along with their controls having six animals each. Mean serum lithium levels of non-fasting and fasting rats were assessed. Mean serum lithium levels of oral non-fasting rats was 0.23 +/- 0.004 mequiv/L, [n=6] compared to oral fasting rats 0.20 +/- 0.002 mequiv/L, [n=6] mean difference=0.003. The mean difference between mean serum lithium level of intraperitoneal non fasting [0.246 +/- 0.015 mequiv/L, n = 6] and intraperitoneal fasting rats [0.206 +/- 0.020 mequiv/L, n = 6] was 0.02. These differences were statistically non significant [P>0.05]. The mean serum lithium is not grossly affected by fasting in rats under 25degreeC and fasting for almost 12 hours which is consistent with a previous clinical study. Lithium can be used by fasting bipolar patients but, will require careful supervision.

Beliefs and attitudes of family members towards patients suffering from conversion disorder

To evaluate the attitudes and beliefs of family members towards patients suffering from conversion disorder. Descriptive Cross Sectional study. Place and Duration of study: The study was carried out in Khalifa Gul Nawaz Teaching Hospital Bannu, Pakistan, from February to May 2013. Subjects and Methods: A consecutive sample of sixty patients, suffering from conversion disorder was approached for the study. Family members were interviewed, using the Urdu version of a questionnaire modified from that of short explanatory model interview [SEMI] by Jackob et al. Data was analyzed by SPSS version 15 using descriptive statistics. Among sixty family members interviewed 56[93.6%] were males, and 30% of them were uneducated. Clinical presentation in most of the patients was in the form of pseudo seizures. One third of the family members were of the view that conversion symptoms were precipitated by stressful events in the close environment. One third of the informants thought that some of the close relative's behavior was working as maintaining factor behind the mental illness. Most of the family members visited psychiatric facility at "other's" advice. Before contacting the nearby mental health facility most of patients were first taken to faith healers [87%]. Ninety percent of them did not agree with any form of punishment therapy for their patients. Majority of family members had reasonable awareness about the psychological nature of the problem. However they also believe in spiritual and super natural forces as causative factors behind the common psychiatric disorder

Anxiety and depression in nurses working in government tertiary care teaching hospitals of Peshawar khyber pakhtunkhwa and their relationship with job stress

To estimate the prevalence and intensity of anxiety and depression and its relationship with job stress among the nursing staff. This cross sectional analytical descriptive study was conducted in three teaching hospitals of Peshawar from 1[st] August 206 to 30[th] November 2006. Convenient sampling was used. The samples consisted of 700 nurses. Sociodemorgraphic details were collected through a proforma. Self rating translated Job Stress Questionnaire was administered followed by self rating Urdu version of AKUAD scale for estimation of job stress and intensity of anxiety and depression. SPSS version 16 was used for statistics. The prevalence of anxiety and depression was 100% with mean score of 41 +/- 10.70 and job stress 38.96 +/- 18.76. The prevalence of mild, moderate, severe and very severe degrees of anxiety and depression was 55.6%, 39.3%, 4.6% and 0.6% respectively. There was no significant correlation between total scores on [AKAUDS] and job stress on JSQ [0.836 P >/= 0.5]. Five items of job stress: Inability to satisfy patients [0.022, P

comparison of life events in depressive illness and dissociative [conversion] disorders

To compare the nature, number and timings of the stressful life events prior to dissociative [conversion] disorders and depressive illness. Comparative study. Place and duration of the study: Psychiatry Unit, Government Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar from December 2003 to December 2004. We recruited dissociative [conversion], depressed and normal control subjects [N=225] divided into three groups, details regarding life events over one year period by using Presumptive Stressful Life Events Scale was obtained. Statistical analyses yielded support for the hypotheses that stressful life events are associated with dissociative [conversion] disorders and depressive illness. No significant difference was found in scores on PSLES for dissociative [conversion] [n=75, M=114.51+28.67] and depressive groups [n=75, M=113.75+30.09] [t [148] =-.158, p< .874]. The nature and number of life events reported by dissociative [conversion] [n=75 M=2.09] and depression groups [n=75; M=2.21] and the time that preceded the onset of illness also did not differ significantly. It was accomplished by the findings of the current research that stressful life events preceding depressive illness and dissociative [conversion] disorders were almost of similar nature, type and intensity and temporal relationship was also alike

Family functioning among depressive and dissociative [conversion] patients

To campare the family functioning, level of depression, anxiety and histrionic personality traits among depressive and dissociative [conversion] patients. A cross-sectional study. The Psychiatry Unit of Government Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar, on depressive anddissociative [conversion] patients admitted from January to May 2004. Purposive sampling technique was used for the assignment of 75 patients [n=75] with depressive illness and 75 patients [n=75] with dissociative [conversion] disorders groups who fulfilled International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision [ICD 10], criteria. Test package was administered individually to all the patients and scores compared for the groups. On family APGAR scale, no significant difference [t=-2.472, p=0.16] was found between the scores of the two groups. Patients with depressive illness scored high on Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression with mean score of 26.92 and on Hamilton Rating Scale for Anxiety with mean score of 23.45, while dissociative group scored high on Hysteria [Hy] sub-scale of Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory [MMPI] with mean score of 13.17. Dysfunctional family pattern is one of the contributing factor in developing and maintaining mental illnesses like depression and dissociative [conversion] disorders

Present and severity of depressive symptoms in Schizophrenia

The present study aims to assess the presence and severity of depressive symptoms in persons suffering from schizophrenia as compared to normal healthy controls. This case control comparative study was carried out at the Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar from January to December 2005. One twenty subjects were included in the study by non probability convenient sampling. Group 1 [the study group] included sixty patients suffering from schizophrenia between the ages of 15-60 and Group 2 [the control group] included sixty normal subjects without any major psychiatric disorder proportionally matched for age and gender. Those suffering from schizoaffective illness, major depression and organic brain damage were excluded. Hamilton Depression Rating Scale [HDRS], a 21 item scale was used to assess the presence and severity of depressive symptoms. The spectrum of depressive symptoms was broad in the schizophrenic sample. The difference in two groups was observed specially in depressed mood i.e., 19 patients in the study vs. 3 subjects in the control group with a p value of 0.0001 and in psychomotor retardation i.e., 19 patients in the study vs. 4 subjects in the control group, again with a p value of 0.0001. The results of this study suggest that depressive symptoms are a part and parcel of schizophrenia and every patient suffering from schizophrenia should be assessed in detail for the presence and severity of depressive symptoms

Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of IV drug users presenting to a tertiary care treatment centre

To identify the association between sociodemographic factors and injectable drug use. This descriptive study was carried out in drug abuse treatment centre of psychiatry department Lady Reading Hospital Peshawar. The patients were recruited through United Nations Office, Drug and Crime Programme [UNODC]. They were interviewed in detail by a psychologist and psychiatrist, through an instrument, specifically designed to collect the information about sociodemographic factors among injecting drug users. Data was recorded and analyzed by using SPSS. The sample consisted of 52 injecting drug users out of the total five hounded patients [10.4%]. All of them were male. Majority belonged to the age group 21-40 years [76.9%]. One third of them [34.6%] were illiterate while about half [50.5%] had professional skills. About one fourth patients [26.9%] started drug use in early age [11-20 years], and only four patients admitted sharing syringe or needle with others patients. The most common reason for 1/V drug use was, influence of friends followed by the desire to get quick and light response. Problem of injectable drug use is common in the illiterate and in younger age group and needs attention of health care planners and research workers